Sacrifices
by Debwood-1999
Summary: A continuation of Jessica-619's Into The Woods series. Agartha lies in ruins, the end result of a madman's greed and the machinations of his evil seer. Now, to save the future, Bray Wyatt's daughter goes back to the past... and changes more than her father's destiny. Multiple characters.
1. Chapter 1

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Guess who's back! YAAY! I had to take some time off to recharge and recover from a major bout of Writer's Block. During that time, I read tons of fanfic, and Jessica619's** _ **Into the Woods**_ **series caught my fancy. This story is a continuation of that series, and I strongly recommend that you read the stories that Jessica's written to bring yourself up to speed. Those include (in order),** _ **Playing With Fire, Into the Woods, Out of Time,**_ **and** _ **Taken.**_ **Otherwise, you'll be lost.**

 **I asked Jessica if I could use her ideas from that series, and I got her permission. She was also gracious enough to provide me with some spoiler-ish content for the latest episode in this series,** _ **Taken.**_ **Since Jessica is placing** _ **Taken**_ **on hiatus with many of her other works in progress, I thought it would be a cool idea to continue the series with this work.**

 **UPDATE: Looks like** _ **Taken**_ **has been updated. I'm still going forward with my continuation, and it'll be cool to read and compare each story.**

 **Which brings me to…**

 **DISCLAIMERS: Not my characters. They are the property of WWE. Original** _ **Into The Woods**_ **series is the property of Jessica619, and concepts, ideas and some turns of phrase are used with permission.**

 _ **Sacrifices  
**_ _ **By Debwood-1999**_

 _ **Prologue**_

Agartha was in ruins.

Everything was scorched and burned. Trees were snapped like matchsticks. Ponds and streams and lakes were dried up and nonexistent. What used to be grassy fields and hills filled with wildflowers were now hills of dry dust and fields of dirt. The once grand castles and cozy pack houses and cabins and quaint cottages were reduced to rubble. And the Wyatts—what was left of them—were piles of bones and ash.

And it was all the result of the actions of a greedy, monstrous man and his pack, and the machinations of his evil seer:

 _Shortly after his "wedding" to Nova, Bray Wyatt entered Roman into an underground fight tournament, where wolves would fight each other for money and supremacy. To Bray, however, the tournament wasn't a tournament so much as it was a means to destroy the Reigns pack, as well as others whom Bray considered a threat. The collared Reigns males were easy pickings for Bray in his wolf form, and a collared Roman had no choice but to fight a newly captured Seth and Dean to the death. After they were slain, their respective mates were handed over to the Rogues for their pleasure._

 _Bray faced Roman in the final showdown. To ensure that Roman would fall in defeat, he cheated and used Asuka's power to dismantle the last Reigns._

 _The sight of her soulmate lying on the ground, broken, bloody and nearly dead, was too much for Nova to bear. After holding back and trying to be strong, she finally snapped. She let her Phoenix emerge._

 _As Bray celebrated his victory and demanded blind, unconditional surrender and servitude, Asuka made her move. Now that the Phoenix was unleashed, Bray was no longer needed. She removed the bracelets that bound Nova and Bray together and uncollared Roman. By the time Bray realized that he was no longer bound to his "wife," and that Roman was uncollared, Asuka and Nova were long gone._

 _A horrified Wyatt realized too late that he'd only been a means to an end. Asuka had betrayed him._

 _Unaware of the seer's treachery, a now uncollared Roman took his Hellhound form and slaughtered Bray and the rest of his pack of dirty wolves. During that bloodbath, Asuka took Nova to anyone who could possibly stop the wicked seer from controlling the Phoenix._

 _Her first stop was Silvermist, where the remaining Reigns pack was camped._

 _Nova, now under Asuka's control, killed the women and children, and the fairies who were guarding them. Most of them were innocent, and their deaths were quick and painless. Others, namely Nova's parents and their witch friend, weren't so fortunate._

 _Nova's Phoenix burned Paige alive, ripped out Bryan's heart and crushed Brie's throat before turning her attention to bigger prey._

 _By the time Roman realized his mistake and returned to Silvermist, his remaining pack had been decimated. The ones who managed to escape the massacre fled to the human world, never to return._

 _The body count continued to climb as Roman continued his desperate pursuit. Drunk on power, Asuka used Nova's Phoenix to destroy the Undertaker, Kane and the Druids. The Council, the Basilisks, and Nova's grandparents met the same fate when they tried to stop her._

 _At the end, it was just Nova, Asuka, and Roman. Asuka tried to force Nova to kill Roman, but one last shred of humanity kept her from committing that last evil act. Instead, Nova briefly broke free from Asuka's control and turned on her, literally vaporizing the evil seer._

 _Finally, she turned on Roman, blaming him for putting her into such a perilous situation. He didn't protect her like he said he would he would, and now he would pay._

 _Roman was heartbroken. The girl he helped protect during her childhood, the one he'd been destined to claim and mark as his own, was gone. In her place was a hurt, angry, murderous, vengeful spirit. Nova had been so traumatized by her ordeal with the Wyatts that her Phoenix had taken complete control. She would never return._

 _He took his Hellhound form once more, hating himself for doing so, but knowing that it was the only way he could end Nova's suffering. But before Roman could deliver the killing blow, Roman's demon Finn appeared and took the broken Alpha to the Underworld._

 _To blunt the pain of losing Nova to her Phoenix, Roman began collecting souls for his demon. Collecting wicked souls was like cocaine for Hellhounds. Roman became addicted, and as his addiction grew, he lost more and more of his own soul. Neither he nor Nova had any memory of who they were, or of what they meant to each other._

 _A group of survivors hid from Nova underground. They wanted to kill her as retribution for what her Phoenix has done, not only to Agartha, but to their friends and loved ones. They even had a plan in place, but the Phoenix was far too powerful. She'd kill them before they had a chance to blink, let alone carry their plan out._

 _One of these survivors was Bray's own daughter._

 _Bray Wyatt was responsible for forcing the Phoenix out in the first place, but he and his pack were little more than ash and bone. Since Abigail was Bray's daughter, that would have made her guilty by association. The survivors could have used her to take out their fury on._

 _But they chose not to._

 _In Abigail Wyatt, the survivors could sense deep remorse and regret. A feeling of sorrow and heartache. Her father had been responsible for the destruction of Agartha, not her. And she'd lost people that she cared about as well._

 _It was this remorse that led Abigail to emerge from hiding with a meager bag of provisions to take with her on a long journey to her father's land, in an effort to find something to fix the catastrophe that her father had brought._

 _She knew it would likely be a suicide mission, but she just couldn't stay underground. Living in fear was no way to live. If she died, then at least she would go out bravely._

 _She was pale but resolute._

 _She was ready._

~~~AGARTHA~~~

The land was so burned and desolate that no landmarks could be seen to help Abigail navigate. But she identified the hills and valleys and found her father's territory. _  
_

Abigail fought the urge to break down and cry as she pawed through the rubble of what used to be her father's cabin. After going through what was left of his books and maps, she found what she was looking for. A map to the Eastern realms.

The Eastern realms lay far away from Agartha, untouched by Asuka and Nova's wrath. It was also where Asuka and her brother lived. Bray's seer, Asuka, was gone of course, reduced to vapor in the final battle. But maybe her brother could help.

Everything that Bray had written about Shinsuke Nakamura was unfavorable. Bray called him a demon, a monster who refused to use his magic the way that Bray wanted. Of course, Shinsuke's magic was the benevolent variety. He used it to help and to heal. His was the complete opposite of his sister's.

And it was exactly what Abigail was looking for.

The Eastern realms was several days' journey from what was left of Agartha. It would involve a trip through the dark woods-or what was left of them. Getting to the dark woods would take some time. The landscape was so blackened and scorched, there were no landmarks to help Abigail navigate.

Sighing, Abigail put the map to the Eastern realms the inside pocket of her cloak. The sooner she got there, the sooner she could find Shinsuke and fix Agartha.

"Who are you?" snapped a cold, female voice.

Abigail turned and a figure stepped into view. It was female, and she was thin, almost emaciated in appearance. Her skin was pale, almost white, and deep circles were carved under her red and black eyes. Her waist-length dark hair looked dry and brittle.

It took Abigail a moment to recognize the wraithlike figure in front of her. "Nova?"

"Who are you, speak now," Nova commanded.

"My God, Nova! What's happened to you?"

Nova's red-black eyes narrowed into slits. She held up her hand, and it lit on fire. "Who are you, I won't ask again!"

"My name is Abigail, I'm Bray Wyatt's daughter ..."

"WYATTS!" Nova shrieked. "I thought they'd all been destroyed by the Hellhound."

"Destroyed?"

"The Hellhound decimated the pack. Deservedly so, especially since your father raped Nova and destroyed the Reigns pack. He wanted so badly to become the ruler of all of Agartha. Of course, he teamed up with the wrong seer. And that didn't end well."

"This isn't you, Nova..."

"NOVA'S NOT HERE!" The voice was loud and shrill.

Abigail tried to take a step towards Nova-the Phoenix- but a burst of energy knocked her off of her feet and sent her sailing. She struck the trunk of a tree- what was left of it-and tumbled to the ground. Her face scrunched up from the pain that bloomed in her back, and her eyes rolled back in her head.

A moment passed, and then a groan escaped Abigail's lips as she caught her breath and sat up. She suspected that this was just a warning shot; if the Phoenix had thrown her any harder, her spine might have cracked.

Abigail was undaunted. "I don't wanna hurt Nova. I wanna set things right. Let me help her."

"LIAR! You don't want to help Nova, you want to control her. You don't think I've heard the stories! Bray Wyatt is responsible for all of this! He did this! What's to say that you won't do the same to me and Nova?"

"No! I'm not like him!" Abigail fired back, desperately. "What my father did was reprehensible, and I am so sorry for what he did to you, and Nova, and Agartha. I know that Nova's still in there! And I'll get her back, and I'll fix this."

"NO! I promised Nova that I'd never let anyone hurt her again, and I won't break that promise." The Phoenix glared down at Abigail, her red-black eyes standing out in incendiary relief against her paper-white skin. Abigail thought she saw a spider web of veins on her face and arms. The Phoenix was draining Nova's body of its life force, and Abigail feared that it was only a matter of time before Nova was completely lost.

"No, stop! Look what you're doing to Nova! You're killing her!"

"I'm not killing her!" spat the Phoenix. "I love her! She's safe, and I'll never let her be hurt again!"

"But you're hurting her by keeping her like this! Try to remember what things were like before all of this went down," Abigail tried to reason. "Nova had friends, a family, people who loved her! She had a mate who would lay down his life for her-"

"THEY WERE ALL WEAK!" The voice that burst from Nova's mouth echoed and screeched in Abigail's ears. "Nova's parents were useless! They tried to stop her from exacting revenge. So I ripped her father's heart out of his chest. Then I crushed her mother's throat. Serves her right for not telling Nova the truth."

"That wasn't your doing! Asuka was using you-"

"SHUT UP! THAT DOESN'T MATTER! THEY WOULD HAVE HURT HER ANYWAY!"

"It was an impossible situation," Abigail tried to point out. "My father and his seer made sure of it. But I wanna fix it if you just let me!"

The Phoenix continued, ignoring Abigail's words. "Roman offered himself in exchange for the Reigns women when your father kidnapped Nova. A misguided attempt to protect her and save his pack, and we all know how that played out. Some mate and guardian he was-"

"My father and his seer had his powers bound," Abigail explained. "It wasn't his fault, they were too powerful-"

 _"He could have found another way, but he didn't!"_ the Phoenix bellowed. "He _deserves_ to be in Hell for what he didn't do! He deserves to spend eternity hunting down wicked souls. It's the only thing he's good at! And as for the rest of his pack, the ones who didn't escape… well, let's just say I have a nice collection of fur rugs and winter coats."

Abigail shuddered at the implication behind the Phoenix's words.

The Phoenix continued. "The Council wanted to kill Nova. Said she was a threat to Agartha. They didn't want to help her, like they claimed. I saw them for the control freaks they were. I even gave the Council a choice. Disband their group and bow to me. Submit or perish. I'd be their judge, jury and executioner."

The Phoenix let out a wry laugh. "Of course, you can see how that played out. Anyone who could do Nova harm, I took care of. Anyone who dared to stand in my way, I took care of as well."

Abigail swallowed the painful lump in her throat. "This is no way to live."

"Yes it is!" cackled the Phoenix. "Life without the Council is so much better. So much easier! I'm everything! Judge, jury and executioner. No boundaries! No rules, except one. Bow to me. Doesn't that sound fantastic?"

"No!" Abigail shook her head vehemently. "That doesn't sound fantastic. It sounds horrible. Without rules, there's chaos. There's destruction. Look around you. This is what happens when there are no rules! The Council was in place for a reason. Maybe you didn't agree with their decisions, but they were there to maintain order."

"ENOUGH!" screeched the Phoenix. "I'm getting tired of arguing with you. I'm giving you an ultimatum. Bow to me…"

"No." Abigail's voice was steady.

"Do you value your life that little, Abigail? I said, _bow to me!"_

"And I said, _no!"_

The Phoenix raised her hand again. The flame surrounding it grew brighter and hotter. "Last chance, Abigail Wyatt. BOW TO ME, OR YOU'LL SHARE THE SAME FATE AS THE OTHERS!"

Abigail's voice was quiet, but firm. "Then I guess you'll have to kill me, because I'll never bow to you. Not like this."

"Very well, then." The Phoenix looked almost disappointed. "I'd hoped for a moment that you'd realize the futility of your argument and join me. But you're just like your father was. Ignorant and foolish, and persistent to the point of self-destruction."

Abigail watched as the Phoenix drew her flaming hand back as if she was about to pitch a baseball. She had no doubt in her mind that the Phoenix was about to deliver a killing blow. "At least I can leave this world knowing that I tried to help."

"I don't need your help. Nova doesn't need your help," hissed the Phoenix. "She has me, and that's all that she needs." A sardonic grin flashed across the Phoenix's face, "Tell your father hello for me."

Abigail let a sob escape her lips. She shut her eyes and lowered her head. _I'm sorry!_ she whispered, just as …

A sudden flash of light lit up the bleak sky, and a clap of thunder made the air vibrate with its power. Before anything else could register in Abigail's head, a strong pair of arms wrapped around her and lifted her up off the ground.

 _You're safe, I've got you,_ a soft voice assured her, before everything went black.

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Hopefully my extended hiatus from FFDN didn't hurt my writing any bit. Good to be back!**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	2. Chapter 2

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Thanks for the faves and follows! That makes me smile. Now, if you lovely readers could leave me a review or two or six, that would be greatly appreciated, and I'd have more reasons to smile.**

 **BTW, I'm putting together a collection of pictures that are relevant to this story. Not sure where I'll put it (either Photobucket or Google drive). Once I finish, I'll share the link with you all.**

 **And speaking of pictures, would anyone be interested in creating a cover for this story? I'll make sure to give you credit.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: See Chapter One.**

 _ **Chapter Two**_

Pain woke her, and Abigail let her eyelids part. She was laying in a nest of pillows and blankets, and she was wearing what looked like a silk kimono. She heard cooking sounds-pots and utensils rattling-and food cooking, and her stomach rumbled.

Propping herself on an elbow, Abigail took in her surroundings. She was in a bedroom that was minimally furnished but comfortable. It was obviously Oriental in design, and Abigail deduced that she was somewhere in the Eastern realms. It was the only place Abigail knew of where the houses weren't destroyed.

"How did I get here?" she asked herself.

An Asian man stepped into view. He was tall and well-muscled, with a pleasant face and long hair that was shaved on one side. He wore a red silk robe over loose black pants, and his feet were bare. A tray with a bowl of noodles and a cup of tea was balanced in his hands. "Welcome to my home." He set the tray down and help Abigail sit up. "I thought you might be hungry."

"Famished," Abigail said. She'd never seen this man before, but something about him instantly put her at ease.

Gratefully, she accepted the meal. The bowl was filled with a fragrant broth and noodles, chicken and vegetables, with half a boiled egg on top. It was a simple meal, but Abigail couldn't remember eating a meal so delicious. She finished her noodles, and then sipped the hot tea, as her host sat cross-legged across from her.

"So, child," the kindly man said, once Abigail finished her meal. "What is your name?"

"My name's Abigail. Abigail Wyatt. Are you Shinsuke?"

"I am," he smiled, softly. "You were looking for me, so I cloaked myself and carried you off before the Phoenix could kill you."

Abigail cocked a blonde eyebrow. "So _that's_ how I got here. But how did you know I was looking for you?"

"Well, I haven't seen or felt any activity in Agartha for a long time. Most of the survivors of the Phoenix's wrath that didn't reach the human world have gone underground for their safety. So, if someone emerges, then they must have a good reason to risk their lives by doing so." Shinsuke chuckled. "The map to the Eastern Realms I found in your cloak made it rather obvious as well."

Abigail looked rather sheepish. "I guess my intentions _were_ pretty obvious."

Shinsuke nodded slowly, eyeing the weary young woman. "And I sense that what you want isn't for personal gain."

"It isn't. I need to change something," Abigail said.

He laughed. "There are a few rules I need to explain. I can't permanently change anything, it's up to you to do that," he said.

"Meaning?" Abigail asked.

"I can take you back to before the event and you must prevent it from happening, only then will it be permanent," he said.

Abigail nodded in understanding. "I didn't expect this to be easy."

Shinsuke looked Abigail again. "Nothing of significance is ever easy. So, what is it that you want, child?" he asked.

"I want to save Agartha," she whispered.

"An interesting request. Unfortunately, Agartha as it is now is beyond saving. Even I'm unable to hold my own against the Phoenix. I was only able to cloak myself for a short period of time to rescue you. Any attempt to fix what has been destroyed would be perceived by the Phoenix as an attempt to control her and only result in death. The Phoenix would kill you as soon as look at you."

Abigail sighed. "I guess it was worth a try. So, what do I do now?"

"Now, I didn't say that Agartha is beyond saving," Shinsuke pointed out, gently; Abigail looked like she was ready to cry. "I said that Agartha as it is now is beyond saving. Just because you can't save it now doesn't mean it can't be saved."

"Okay. Then I go back to before Nova was kidnapped by my father. That's what started this disaster. My father wanted Nova's power, so he kidnapped her with his seer's help. I won't go into details, but Asuka betrayed him, and he was killed. Asuka used Nova's Phoenix to destroy anyone she considered a threat. But the Phoenix destroyed Asuka. If I can go back and keep Nova from being kidnapped, it'll save Agartha, because Nova's Phoenix won't be in Dad and Asuka's hands."

"It wouldn't matter," Shinsuke said, bluntly. "Even if you did manage to go back to the kidnapping and rescue Nova, he and Asuka will only keep coming after Nova and the Reigns pack. He won't stop until either he gets what he wants, or Agartha is completely destroyed. Have you ever considered the possibility that neither Agartha nor Nova are the ones in need of saving?"

An uncomfortable silence fell over Shinsuke and his guest. Finally, he stood up and offered Abigail an outstretched hand. "Come with me. I need to show you something …"

~~~AGARTHA~~~

"I come out here to meditate and to practice my magic," Shinsuke explained as he ushered Abigail outside and into a quiet Zen garden. He sat down in front of a reflective pool of water and gestured for Abigail to follow suit. "This pool is where I'm able to see different realities. I've viewed every possible scenario where your father tries to take over Agartha. Every single scenario leads to either his destruction, the destruction of his pack, or the destruction of Agartha."

"How are you able to see my father's different realities?"

He paused, and a wistful look passed over his face. "I was supposed to be his Seer. Unfortunately, my sister got a taste of Phoenix power, and it corrupted her. Asuka tapped into the power of the Order, but the Phoenixes went mad and killed themselves one by one. They left traces of their powers behind, but since the power wasn't Asuka's to have, it faded away. She searched far and wide for another Phoenix of the Order's bloodline. When she learned of Nova's existence, she sought out your father and used his desire for power to claim that she was his Seer."

"Asuka was your sister?"

"She was like me at first, using her powers for good and for healing. Of course, you know how her story ends." Shinsuke closed his eyes. There were tears in his voice as he said, "As much as I miss my sister, I'm comforted to know that she'll never come back to harm another."

Abigail gazed into the pool. A couple of Koi fish swam past, their shimmering white and orange scales standing out in sharp relief against the dark water. "I don't understand. What do my father and Asuka have to do with saving Agartha?"

Shinsuke didn't answer that question. Instead, he said, "I think in order for you to understand what you're asking for, you need to know your father's history. Tell me, Abigail. What do you know about your father?"

A lump rose up in Abigail's throat as she recounted her life with her father:

 _Abigail barely knew her mom. She'd been the product of a rape between her mother and Bray Wyatt. The little girl was a constant reminder of her mother's tragedy, and when Bray came to collect her, Abigail's mother was overjoyed. From the moment Abigail arrived in Agartha, she was groomed to become Roman Reigns' mate. Once she mated with Roman, her father would kill him, and the Reigns pack would belong to the Wyatts._

 _However, Abigail had found her true soulmate in Braun Strowman. Upon learning this, Bray was furious. He had drilled it into his daughter's head that Roman was the one she needed to mate with. Finding Braun threw a huge monkey wrench into his plans. So, he forbade Abigail and Braun to see each other, going so far as to threaten Braun with his life and commit the unthinkable._

 _Bray forced Abigail to give her virtue away to a stranger, for the sole purpose of driving away her true soulmate and keeping her focused on the task at hand; mating with Roman Reigns. Braun called Abigail a whore for giving herself to someone else. He never gave her a chance to explain the deal Bray had made. Braun stopped talking to her, and eventually grew to hate her. With nothing left, Abigail had no choice but to follow her father and do as he said._

"What your father did to you was reprehensible. But you haven't scratched the surface of your father's history," Shinsuke said. "I think we need to go further back, so that you understand what made him the way he was."

The sorcerer stretched his hand across the pool and waved it back and forth slowly. The water swirled and became iridescent, like someone had spilled oil across its surface. "I want you to gaze into this pond, Abigail. I have a story to tell, and I think it'll answer many of your questions …"

~~~AGARTHA~~~

 _Years ago, there was a young female wolf named Lita. She met her soulmate, Matt Hardy. Matt came from a family of powerful warlocks and witches. They were deeply in love, and Matt planned to marry Lita. Their marriage would unite two clans, which would have benefited them both._

 _Lita was a strong, beautiful, feisty woman. Unfortunately, her beauty attracted the unwanted advances of Kane. He began to stalk her. She tried to ignore his advances, but his stalking escalated. He threatened her family and friends, and eventually he threatened to kill Matt._

 _Desperate, Lita made a deal with Kane. She would spend a night with him, in exchange for Kane leaving Matt alone. It was a night she'd never forget, for all the wrong reasons._

 _Lita felt dirty and cheap afterwards, and she blocked the encounter out of her mind. She threw her affections towards Matt, even making love to him in an effort to keep her mind off of what she'd done to protect him._

 _But when she discovered she was pregnant, the secret would shatter her world._

 _Matt, assuming that the child was his, was overjoyed. The pregnancy was a sign to him that he and Lita were meant to be, and he couldn't wait to marry her and begin their family right away. He marked the occasion by proposing to Lita at a big party for Lita's pack and his coven. But as Matt got down on one knee and popped the question, Kane crashed the party and revealed the deal Lita had made to save Matt._

 _Matt was initially devastated, but decided that he would marry Lita anyway, baby and all. He was willing to get married anywhere and under any conditions, even eloping in the human world._

 _Kane, however, had other ideas. Later, Kane demanded a duel between him and Matt, and the winner would receive Lita's hand in marriage. Confident that Matt would defeat the demon, Lita agreed._

 _The battle was fierce and bloody. Matt fought courageously and held his own for as long as he could. But he was no match for a demon, and when the dust settled, Matt was not only defeated, but dead._

 _The Council, once word got to them about the deal that Lita had made, and its consequences, was livid. For one, she never should have exchanged sexual favors for her family's protection. And for another, she should have gone to the Council for protection and advice. They would have dealt with Kane accordingly, and Lita's pack would have been safe._

 _But now, Matt's coven was broken, and Lita was pregnant with a demon's spawn. Adding insult to injury, she was now forced to marry a creature she despised. Disaster had befallen her as a result of her cowardice._

 _Lita was crushed. The Hardy coven shunned her, and her pack had no choice but to excommunicate her. Being tied to a demon in such a fashion was unacceptable._

 _But Lita already had a plan._

 _On the eve of what was to be her wedding, Lita managed to escape. She fled to the deepest parts of Agartha, where Kane wouldn't be able to find her. She stayed hidden for the duration of her pregnancy, shifting into her wolf form to survive._

 _When the time came to give birth, Lita struggled alone for hours before delivering a baby boy. Instinct took over near the end, and she bit through the umbilical cord with her teeth._

 _The birth of a child should be a time of celebration and joy, but for Lita, it was a time of sorrow and pain. Her baby was a constant reminder of the mistakes she made, and the life she lost._

 _Lita found a stream, made a crude basket and placed her newborn son in it. Like Moses, he was placed into the water and floated downstream. Hopefully, he would be found by a loving family and cared for and raised the way that Lita could not._

~~~AGARTHA~~~

"Your father was found by a pack of rogue wolves," Shinsuke said, once Abigail turned away from the pond. "They named him Bray because he brayed like a donkey when they found him. His last name been White, but over time, it changed to Wyatt. He was raised with no rules. No boundaries. He eventually became the Alpha, and his pack gained a reputation for evil. Murder, rape, theft. It was all fair game. And the worst part is, his pack did it all for the fun of it."

"What happened to Lita?"

"She went mad after abandoning her son. Sick with madness and grief, and weak from the birth, she took her own life."

Abigail silently wept not for Bray's mother, but for Bray himself. Lita had made the stupid decisions, so Abigail couldn't find it in her to feel much sympathy. But Bray was a different story! Born of a rape, part-demon, and abandoned? He had several strikes against him from the moment he was conceived. "How terrible! My father never had a chance! No wonder he was the way he was."

"I'm sorry you had to see all of that. But you needed to know the truth in order to know who needs saving."

Abigail nodded. "I know what I need to do. If I want to save Agartha, and if I want to save Nova, then I need to save my father. If I can do that, then maybe I can undo what my father's done here."

"How far back are you willing to go?"

Abigail's answer was immediate. "As far back as I have to."

"Then you'd be going back to when your father was first abandoned."

"If that's what it'll take, then alright. I'll do it. What will this cost me?"

"It depends on what you're willing to give."

There was only one thing that Abigail could offer that was of any value. "My children," she said immediately. "Any children that I would have given birth to."

"You're offering something enormous. Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"If it saves my father, and if it saves Agartha, then yes. I absolutely want to do this."

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Well, now you know Bray's backstory. I gather that the theme here is Nature vs. Nurture. Since Bray's part demon, is that enough to make him evil and unsalvageable? Or is it outside influences that shape one's destiny? Perhaps it's a little of both?**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	3. Chapter 3

**`NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Kinda disappointed that I haven't got more reviews, but I'm not the type to hold my stories hostage.**

 **A little backstory about Bray's history. If Kane/Matt/Lita sounded familiar, it's the disastrous storyline of 2004 with an Agartha spin to it. I wanted to give Bray some sympathy and decided that this was the way to go. Conceived by rape, part demon, abandoned by his mom… we'll see if nuture overcomes nature as the story progresses.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: See Chapter 1**

 _ **Chapter Three**_

"You must eat these first," Shinsuke said. He and Abigail were still in the Zen garden. Abigail sat cross-legged on the ground. "Then we can begin."

Abigail gazed down at the star-shaped candies that Shinsuke had placed in her hand. They were translucent, and they shimmered like tiny gemstones. "What are these?"

"They're called Konpeitō," Shinsuke explained. "They're sugar candies. Their origins are from the 16th century."

Abigail couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm gonna eat candy, and it's gonna take me back in time?"

"They won't take you back in time," Shinsuke answered. "But it'll begin the process. Remember what you've promised me."

The brief moment of levity ended after that gentle reminder. "I guess I've nothing to lose," Abigail sighed. "Here goes."

They were sweet, cold, bitter, hot, salty, mouth-numbing, sour… all sorts of flavors and sensations as Abigail gulped the candies down. No sooner had she swallowed the last candy than she felt an excruciating pain blossom in her stomach. It spread from her stomach to her back, and then her limbs. Abigail howled in pain. It was like she was being crushed in a giant vice.

Unable to take anymore agony, Abigail collapsed to the ground, clutching her belly like she'd been stabbed. She was vaguely aware of Shinsuke chanting softly, in a language that was definitely not English.

Soon, the pain in Abigail's body faded by degrees, and she was able to sit up. "What did you do?" she managed to gasp out.

"I merely took what you promised me," Shinsuke answered, simply. "Now it's time for me to deliver on my promise. Close your eyes, and take my hands." When he sensed Abigail's hesitation, he added, "Abigail, if you want to save your father and Agartha, then you have to trust me. Now, close your eyes and take my hands."

A sigh escaped Abigail's lips as she took Shinsuke's hands and shut her eyes. At once, she and the Kitsune were enveloped in a foaming, scintillating white light. A mysterious force peeled the hair back from Abigail's temples, and she suddenly felt tingly and warm.

Abigail gasped and snapped her eyes open. The warmth and tingling had dissipated, but she felt a difference in the air. It was the feeling you'd get if you were a full table setting, complete with plates, silverware and glasses, and someone had just whipped the tablecloth out from under you.

"What just happened?" Abigail whispered.

"Present time has been frozen," Shinsuke explained. "Once you find your father and change his future, then I will unfreeze time and bring you back."

He gestured once again for Abigail to gaze into the pool. Another wave of the hand, another swirl of iridescent colors, and a new scene appeared in the water. It was a slow-moving stream of water. Along its banks, the stream was surrounded by green and lush trees. The grass along the edges looked thick and cool, and Abigail could almost smell watercress and peppermint.

"In this reality, this is where the Rogues found your father," Shinsuke pointed out. "I've sent you further upstream. This way, you'll be able to find your father before they do and get to safety. But be warned. You'll be stepping into Reigns territory. They're well respected because they respect others. But they do attack if provoked, or if you're an enemy in their territory."

Abigail shuddered. "I'm not an enemy, am I?"

"Well, let's just say that if they encounter you, and you're holding an infant, they'll be far kinder to you."

A soft smile curved Abigail's lips. Shinsuke had given her some valuable information. "Let's do this," she said, climbing to her feet.

~~~AGARTHA~~~

"Now, remember what I said.," Shinsuke told Abigail gently, as he escorted her to the front door of his house."You must go back and change your father's future. Once that's accomplished, then I will bring you back here."

"How long do you think this will take?" Abigail questioned.

"As long as necessary. I can't give you an exact time. That's up to you."

Abigail paused before she pushed open the door. "Wait! Shinsuke! I just realized something."

"Yes?"

"With all this talk about going back and changing my dad's future, I never stopped to think of how I'm gonna do it! I know I have to find my dad before the Rogues do, but what do I do afterwards?"

A gentle smile creased Shinsuke's lips as he placed his hands on Abigail's shoulders. "How you change your father's future is up to you as well. You risked your life going out to search for me. Not only are you brave, but you're young, and you're resourceful. You'll find a way."

"You really think so?"

Shinsuke pulled Abigail close in a fatherly gesture and kissed the top of her head. "I _know_ so."

Abigail nodded. "Thank you," she said quietly, before she slipped out the door.

Shinsuke watched Abigail until she was a spot in the distance before retreating into his house. "Let's hope I don't have to wait too long, Abigail. You have your work cut out for you."

~~~AGARTHA~~~

 _I recognize this place!_ Abigail goggled at the landscape in front of her. The burned and scorched hills, snapped trees and dead flowers that she'd become accustomed to were no more. In their place were lush green hills, brightly blooming wildflowers and tall stately trees.

She couldn't stop the smile from tugging across her face. Shinsuke had done it! He'd taken her back in time! She took in the sights, her eyes glowing like birthday candles. Abigail wanted to rush into the air, catch the wind in her hair, and spin and laugh until she grew dizzy and fell on the ground and then roll around in the cool green grass and gaze up at the clear blue sky.

But she didn't have time for that. She had a baby to find.

In the distance, Abigail could make out a moving body of water. _That must be the stream,_ she reasoned. Shinsuke had brought her to this spot so that she could find her father before the Rogues did. With a determined gleam in her eye, she set off for the stream.

The stream was exactly as she'd seen it in Shinsuke's vision. Slow-moving, with lush green trees and cool green grass along its banks. The air tingled with the crisp, cool scent of watercress and peppermint.

Abigail walked purposely along the banks, her eyes fixed on the water and anything that could resemble a basket. She knew she had to work quickly, once she found what she was looking for. The more distance she could put between herself and any Rogues, the better. And the sooner she could find someone from the Reigns pack, the safer she'd be.

Shinsuke's words about the Reigns pack rang in Abigail's ears. _Well, let's just say that if they encounter you, and you're holding an infant, they'll be far kinder to you._

"I hope you're right, Shinsuke," Abigail whispered to herself, as she saw what looked like a basket on the opposite side of the stream.

 _This must be the baby!_ Mindful of her bare feet, Abigail waded into the water. It was cool, and it reached her knees, and it moved a bit faster than she'd anticipated. The current tugged at her and nearly knocked her off her feet, but Abigail soldiered on until she reached the basket.

It wasn't so much a basket, though, as it was a bunch of reeds woven into a wide mat. A bundle wrapped in dirty rags lay in its center. Carefully, Abigail reached forward and pulled the basket towards her. She gathered the little bundle in her arms, and then lifted away the rags.

The baby in her arms was beautiful. He had a round, chubby face and a head full of dark, curly hair. The motion of the water had apparently lulled him to sleep because his eyes were closed, and his long lashes were curled on the tops of his cheeks.

The baby opened his eyes, then, and stared straight into Abigail's face. The eyes were almond-shaped and midnight blue, and something about them told Abigail that an old soul hid behind them. The baby studied her, like he knew and understood her. Abigail had never seen such awareness in the eyes of any baby she'd held or seen, and she found herself returning that blue gaze, fascinated.

Shock slammed through her as she realized who she was holding. "Hi… Dad," she managed to squeak out.

And then the baby cried.

More often than not, Abigail found the cry of a newborn to be grating and genderless. This cry was a soft, mysterious music that brought tears to her eyes. It drifted into her ears and brought forth a desire to hold him close. To resist this instinctive plea for survival meant you had no soul.

Abigail smelled the threat before she saw it. The rancid stench of unwashed bodies and foul breath hit her full in the face like a wet sandbag. Abigail wrinkled her nose and tried not to gag as she climbed out of the water and onto the creek bank.

Three huge wolves stepped into view. Their eyes were yellow, like a cat's, and their fur was dirty and tangled. Cold fear washed over Abigail as she recognized who these wolves were.

Rogues.

Rogues were supernatural beings who were so destructive to their own kind that they were disowned. More often than not, they were wolves that were run out by their own packs. Eventually, these castoffs became their own destructive group. Any females that were captured by the Rogues were used for the packs' pleasure, be it unpaid labor or sexual gratification. Any children would be used as target practice for the wolves, to sharpen their hunting skills.

 _They're not supposed to be here!_ Abigail thought in horror. _Didn't Shinsuke send me further upstream?! Or maybe they're another group of Rogues!_

Clutching the baby, who was beginning to fuss, she took a step back. The wolf in the middle lowered its head. Abigail could see the lust and hunger in its eyes as it snapped at her.

Every nerve in Abigail's body screamed, _RUN!_

Holding the baby tightly against her chest, Abigail turned and took off running, with the Rogues hot on her heels. She didn't know where she was going, she just ran. Try as she might, however, she couldn't put much distance behind herself and the pursuing wolves. The baby in her arms made it more difficult, but she knew she couldn't give up. Suddenly, her foot hit an exposed tree root, and Abigail pitched forward with a surprised yelp. Mindful of the baby in her arms, Abigail twisted herself around so that she landed on her side instead of her face.

Abigail gave the baby a once-over. He was crying loudly now, but he was more startled than hurt. Abigail's ankle throbbed, and she wondered if she'd broken it.

A shadow fell over Abigail and she glanced up. The Rogues had caught up to her and were now surrounding her and the baby. They suddenly morphed from wolves to human form, and Abigail's stomach lurched. If they'd been dirty as wolves, they were ten times worse as humans. They were filthy and they smelled bad. Their voices were an unpleasant cackle.

"Well, look what we have here. A pretty girl and a baby."

"You shouldn't be wandering around by yourself, especially with a little baby."

"What should we do with her? She's not much good with a baby. We could use it as target practice."

"Or maybe we could eat it. I am hungry. It would tide us over until we get to our lands."

Abigail found her voice. "Don't hurt us! Just let us go!"

"Oh, we can't let you go," growled the biggest Rogue, who reached forward to touch Abigail's hair. Abigail recoiled at the grimy touch. "You're too pretty to let go. We could have some serious fun with you. But first, we have to take care of the little problem in your arms."

"NO!" Abigail shut her eyes. She curled into a ball and tried to protect the baby as much as she could, as the Rogues drew closer. She wanted to cry in frustration and terror. Not only would her father's existence be wiped out if the Rogues had their way, but she wouldn't exist either. Had she gone back in time, only to destroy her father's destiny, not to mention her own existence, before they even had a chance to be shaped?

Before the Rogues could pounce on their prey, help for Abigail and the baby arrived from an unexpected place. A flash of black fur and muscles launched itself at the Rogues, and everything around Abigail became a flurry of motion and a cacophony of growls and gurgles and screams.

The fight seemed to hours. Abigail lay as still as possible so as not to get in the way. Finally, she opened her eyes and saw two pairs of human feet in front of her. Gasping, she looked up and saw two very tall, and very naked, men who were both covered in tattoos. One of them was blonde, and the other one had dark hair.

Abigail recoiled. "Don't hurt my baby!" she cried.

"It's okay. You're safe," the dark-haired man said, squatting down in front of her and holding out a hand. "Sorry for the lack of clothing. When we morph into wolves, we… tend to lose our modesty. By the way, those were Rogues who were harassing you. If we see Rogues on our territory, we tend to kill or maim first, and then ask questions later."

"Speaking of which," the blonde man chimed in, "You probably don't want to look to your left. It's not pretty. We'll dispose of the carcasses later."

Abigail gulped.

The dark-haired man added, "You're lucky we found you. I'm sure that pack would have had some nasty business planned for you and your child. My name's Baron, and my friend's name is Corey. We're from the Reigns pack."

"We won't hurt you," Corey added. "We're here to help you. Can you stand?" he said.

Abigail shook her head. "I think my ankle's either sprained or broken."

"Let me take your baby, then," Baron held his hands out. "Corey can carry you to our pack house. You'll be safe there."

"Thank you," Abigail whispered, as Corey picked her up gently. She lay her head on his bare chest before she passed out from exhaustion.

~~~AGARTHA~~~

"She's frightened," Baron said, cradling the child in his arms. The baby babbled quietly, comfortable in spite of the stranger holding him.

"Poor thing," Corey sighed. "Look at her clothing, Baron. She must have come from the Eastern Realms. How the hell did she manage to make her way down here?"

"Who knows. And why is she carrying a baby?"

"I have no clue, Baron. Right now, I wanna get back to the pack house. Take care of the girl and let her rest. We can ask questions later…"

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I know it's a bit slow, but it'll pick up quickly. Just trying to do some table setting before we get to the real meat of the story. So, instead of being found by a band of Rogues, baby Bray's been found by Abigail, and the two of them were rescued by members of the Reigns pack. The big question now is, will the rest of the Reigns pack be as kind to Abigail as Baron and Corey were? I won't hold my story hostage, but…**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	4. Chapter 4

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. This one may be a bit choppy, but I want to get to baby Bray's fate as soon as possible, so any unnecessary details will be removed. Suffice it to say that Abigail and the baby made it safely to Sika Reigns' packhouse, and Abigail and Sika are in conversation.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: See Chapter One**

Sika pulled up a chair and sat down next to his houseguest, who had her leg propped up on cushions. Abigail was lying on the couch in the living room. "Looks like you didn't break your ankle. It's just a sprain, and a minor one at that. You should be able to put weight on it in a day or so."

"My baby. Is he okay?"

"He's fine. My wife just fed him, bathed him and put him to bed. You're a very lucky young woman, and your child's a very lucky child as well. I shudder to think what would have happened if Corey and Baron hadn't been on patrol."

"I owe them my thanks."

"They'd be awfully petty-souled if they didn't stop to help. Now, you've probably guessed that I'm not here for idle chat. The sudden appearance of a mysterious young blonde woman dressed in a kimono and carrying a newborn child will obviously raise some serious questions. So I have a few serious questions to ask you."

Abigail sighed and glanced down at her lap. _Well, I'm from the future, and I kidnapped my own father as an infant, and I'm going to take care of him so that he doesn't become a greedy, evil monster and destroy your home!_ she wanted to say, but she knew that wouldn't fly. Sika would probably either laugh at her or have her executed. She would have to fabricate a story that would sound somewhat plausible.

"I'm not in any trouble, am I?" she ventured, cautiously.

"Well, all I can say is, be as honest as possible, because the Reigns pack doesn't tolerate liars. What is your name, child?"

 _Well, here goes._ "My name is… Abigail. Abigail Wyatt."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Wyatt. So where are you from?"

"I'm from the Eastern realms." Not _quite_ a lie. She _did_ come from the Eastern realms, only it was the Eastern realms from the future.

"And what do you do there?"

 _So far, so good._ "I study under Shinsuke Nakamura."

Sika nodded. "I see. Nakamura often takes in young adults so that he can impart his knowledge to them. He likes to educate the next generation. So the next question is, where did you find the child?"

"I… I found him floating in the stream. I was looking for someone to help me, and… I guess you know the rest."

"That's all we need to know right now." Sika gave Abigail a kind smile. "I'd expected some elaborate story, but the fact that you were so straightforward tells me much about your character, Miss Wyatt."

Abigail let out an inward sigh of relief. Keeping her answers simple had been a good strategy. And she wasn't _technically_ lying. She just left out the unnecessary details. "Thank you. What's gonna happen now? With me and the baby, I mean?"

"Well, there's going to be a hearing tomorrow morning with the Council," Sika answered. "The baby that you found, we have to determine what to do with him. Then we'll make arrangements for you to return to the Eastern realms with Shinsuke."

Abigail felt her pulse quicken. "I won't be punished, will I?"

"The Council is fair and just," Sika assured her. "They will make sure that the right thing is done for you and the baby. In the meantime, get some rest. You have a busy day tomorrow..."

~~~AGARTHA~~~

Later, Sika and his wife, Patricia were in quiet discussion after everyone else was asleep. "How could she have possibly come from the Eastern realms?" Patricia asked.

"Nakamura has often selected students from other places besides the Eastern realms, so choosing someone from someplace else isn't uncommon."

"But I see no record of an Abigail Wyatt in any of our books. If she's one of Nakamura's students, then that record would show up here, would it not?"

"Not necessarily. Remember who, or rather what, Nakamura is. Kitsunes such as Nakamura often use trickery to conceal the identities of their students, for their protection, of course. But that's neither here nor there at the moment. What's more important is the child she has with her." Sika paused. "Wait. I think I have a mindlink from Corey."

 _Alpha Sika, Baron and I found a woman near the edge of our territory. It looks like she's recently given birth._

 _Is she alright?_

 _No. Her wrists have been slit. It looks like she took her own life. We found a sharpened bone nearby, covered in blood._

 _What does the woman look like?_

 _Red hair, tattoo on her right arm._

 _And she recently gave birth, you said?_

 _It looks like it, yes._

 _Oh ….oh, my!_

 _Something the matter, Alpha Sika?_

 _If that's who I think it is, Corey, then we may have a serious problem._

 _Do you think …_

 _Yes. I think you just found Lita. And we're in possession of her offspring._

~~~AGARTHA~~~

 _The next morning ..._

Abigail gazed down at the sleeping infant in her arms. _How could something so innocent and sweet looking become someone so twisted and evil,_ she wondered, a lump rising in her throat. Bray's fate was being discussed with, and would be decided by, the magical creatures that made up Agartha's Council.

She was sequestered in a small room while the Council debated her father's fate. A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back in the chair she sat in and let her mind drift:

~~~AGARTHA~~~

 _The Council's chambers looked like a courtroom, save for the multiple judges. Abigail recognized different mystical beings seated in the room; Valkyries, Banshees, Faeries, Druids, witches, mermaids, Kitsune and werewolves. They were all here to represent their respective clans at this hearing. She saw Sika and his wife among the judges and felt some comfort._

 _"Abigail Wyatt," began Trish Stratus, the leader of the witches, "You've been summoned here to help us determine the fate of the child you found on the Reigns territory. After this hearing, we'll make arrangements for you to have safe passage back to the Eastern realms, where you will continue your studies under Nakamura. You are one of his students, am I correct?"_

 _"Yes," she said calmly._

 _"I would probe you further, but Kitsune magic is strong. I suspect that he's got a ward on you to prevent that. I've been acquainted with Nakamura long enough to know that his intentions and his actions have always been genuine, so your honesty, Miss Wyatt, is not in question today."_

 _"Thank you."_

 _"Now, in order to understand our concern about this child, we'll need to explain the reason why ... " Trish launched into the story of Lita, her deal with Kane, and the subsequent downfall of both her and the Hardy Coven. It wasn't half as tragic as the story that Shinsuke had told, namely because the Council didn't know all of the details._

 _"Which brings us to news from just a few minutes ago. Miss Wyatt, we were informed by Corey and Baron that they located Lita's body last night, not far from where you found the child. Her wrists were slit, and it's obvious that she took her own life. Also, from all appearances, she recently gave birth. I think it is safe to say that the child you're holding belonged to Lita._

 _"Now, what makes this a concern is the child's paternity. We are all more than convinced that the child is the result of Lita's ill-conceived attempt to protect herself, her pack and the Hardy coven."_

 _"And," added Natalya, who was one of the Valkyries in attendance. "Kane knew what he was doing when he stalked Lita. He didn't do it for grins and giggles. He was looking to acquire an heir. That story will have to be told another time, because it's a bit involved. Right now, the child is what's more important. He's very dangerous."_

 _"Why is the baby dangerous?"_

 _"The child is a half-demon. He has demon powers that Kane can use to take over Agartha… " there was more to Natalya's explanation, but Abigail didn't need to hear it. A chill began to seep through her body as she guessed the Council's intentions._

 _It was becoming clear to Abigail as each of the Council's representatives gave their opinion. Even as an infant, the Council considered Bray Wyatt a threat._

~~~AGARTHA~~~

Abigail was horrified when the Council made its decision.

"NO!" she exclaimed. "You can't kill him! He's a baby!"

"A baby who happens to be the spawn of a powerful demon," explained Alexa Bliss, who represented the Faerie vote. "We've had enough trouble with Kane, especially after the Lita fiasco. We can't take the chance of Kane claiming this child and using it for his own gain."

"Kane, you see," pointed out Sasha, another Valkyrie, "Is associated with a powerful group of Basilisks called the Authority. The Authority is obsessed with gaining power and control over everything and everyone in this realm. We have a tenuous peace between them and the rest of Agartha. Kane and this offspring could tip the balance in the wrong direction. If that happens, Agartha is in serious trouble."

"He's not even… I don't know, three days old?!" Abigail wailed. The baby in her arms began to whimper, almost is if he knew what was in store for him. "He's not even aware of what he can do! You're going to kill a child because of who his father is? That's not fair to him!"

"Miss Wyatt," Sasha continued, gently. "We have to put the safety and security of Agartha ahead of our personal feelings. Believe us when we say that this was not an easy decision to make."

"Not an easy decision?!" Abigail looked like she was going to cry. "From the moment I saw this baby, I knew I had to do what I could to give him a chance to live. I didn't know what his origins were, or how he was conceived. Now that I know, I still want to give him a chance! You're all gonna condemn him because of who his father is? How would you feel if you'd found him instead of me? Would you want to kill him then?"

"I'm sorry, Abigail." Sika spoke up, then, his eyes and heart heavy with regret. "I can see how attached you've become to that child. I voted to spare him, but majority rules. We have to put the well-being of Agartha first. If you wish, you can say goodbye to the child and leave with Nakamura before we... do what we need to."

The baby began to cry in distress, and Abigail pressed him closer. She gently smoothed out his curls and kissed his forehead. Her spine became steel, and her eyes became flinty as she turned to face the Council. If her father died, then so would she. But at least she could say she tried to save him.

 _Maybe I have, in a way,_ Abigail thought. _Agartha would be safer without him… but I hate the thought of my father dying before he even has a chance to live._

"You know what," she whispered. "If you're going to kill him… then you'll have to kill me as well."

Trish stared at Abigail, dumbfounded. "You'd sacrifice your life for a child that you don't own?" she gasped.

"I will if I have to," Abigail answered, unafraid.

The silence that followed was thick enough to slice. Each member of the Council studied Abigail with varying degrees of awe. The young girl's courage and nobility was admirable. Fruitless, perhaps, but admirable.

Abruptly, the silence was shattered by a familiar voice. "Council, I'm sorry I'm late."

Abigail turned, and her heart soared. Shinsuke suddenly appeared in the room, like he'd materialized out of thin air. She schooled her features to hide her joy and relief. Even the baby quieted down.

Sika got up and greeted him warmly. "Shin, you certainly know how to make an entrance. I was about to send for you. Your student, found an infant in our territory."

To Abigail's surprise, Shinsuke chuckled. "She's quite talented. I've been teaching her teleportation, and I'm quite surprised that she made it all the way here. Thank you for looking after her." He approached Abigail. His gestures were kind, and his voice was soft. "Let me see that child, _Musume."_

Without hesitation, Abigail gave Shinsuke the baby. The Kitsune looked like a natural father as he cradled the baby in his arms. The child babbled in contentment as Shinsuke ran a finger across the tiny face and stroked the soft curls on his head.

Still holding the baby, Shinsuke glanced around at the Council. "This is the child in question?"

"Yes," Sika answered. "That's the offspring of Kane and Lita."

"I sense tremendous power in this child. Power that can go either way. If it's channeled improperly, it could be catastrophic to Agartha."

"Which, unfortunately," sighed Sika, "Is the reason why the Council has chosen to..."

Shinsuke's expression grew from soft and kindly to hard and steely as he finished Sika's sentence. "Condemn him to death, simply because of who his parents are?"

Silence.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" Shinsuke spat, fiercely. "Choosing to take the life of a child!"

"Well, what do you suggest?"

Shinsuke handed the baby back to Abigail. "Well, now that I'm here, I suspect that I'm now the deciding vote, as to if this child lives or dies. And I vote to spare him."

"Why would you want to spare this… demon spawn?" Trish demanded.

"Because, Ms. Stratus… I'm this (air quotes) _demon spawn's_ Seer."

A collective gasp went up from the Council members.

Shinsuke continued. "And I see good things in his future if his powers are channeled properly. So, I want to offer a proposition. If one of you is willing to shelter the infant part-time, then I'll train him to use his powers properly when he is of age. He'll spend most of his time in the human world, where my sister, Asuka, owns and runs an alternative medicine clinic. Asuka, as you know, is recovering from a corruption of Phoenix power, and I believe raising the child will be good for her. My student will live with Asuka when she's not studying, and she'll help take care of the child as well. I think it would be a disservice to both of them if they are separated. And if this child causes any type of trouble, then I'll take full responsibility."

"It's obvious that you've put some thought into this. But do you understand what it is you're getting into, Shin?" Sika asked. "If this child's powers put us in danger in one form or another, you could face severe consequences."

Shinsuke smirked. "All the more reason for me to do the right thing." He paused then, and turned a pointed gaze at Sika and his wife. "So, who's willing?"

Sika locked eyes with Shinsuke. It was now clear to the Reigns' Alpha that the Kitsune expected him to shelter the child. After all, he'd voted to spare the baby's life. A sigh escaped Sika's lips. Shinsuke truly had him over a barrel. "I guess my pack will take that responsibility…"

~~~AGARTHA~~~

 _Later that afternoon..._

"I don't know how to thank you, Shinsuke," Abigail was practically dancing as she kept up with the Kitsune's pace. The two of them were heading to Asuka's shop and residence to get everyone settled in. The baby was safely in Abigail's arms, and a bag with diapers, formula, and other baby essentials swung from her shoulders. The three of them had just left the Reigns' packhouse, and they were safely out of earshot of everyone. "You saved me and the baby, and you're a total stranger."

"They don't know that," Shinsuke grinned. "All I know is that I'm the Seer for that child, and I take my responsibilities very seriously. Now that we're away from everyone, I think introductions are in order, at least on your side. You know me already as Shinsuke. But what's your name?"

"Abigail Wyatt."

"Abigail… hmmmm. You seem familiar to me. Perhaps I knew you in a different lifetime. And you look like the type who would do anything for the ones she cares about."

"You could say that," Abigail said, wryly.

"And the baby, have you decided on a name yet? After all, you found him."

Just as Shinsuke uttered those words, the baby sneezed. It was an odd-sounding sneeze, like the tiny whinny of a foal, or the cry of a baby donkey.

Abigail smirked. Some things never changed. "He sounds like a little donkey. I think I'll name him Bray. And I'll give him my last name."

Shinsuke nodded thoughtfully. "Bray Wyatt. I like that. It fits in, and yet it stands out. You better not tell him how he got his name when he gets older, though." He and Abigail chuckled. "Now, if we arrive at our sister's place early enough, maybe I can persuade her to make us some dinner. She makes a rice bowl with purple rice and tempura peppers that is to die for…"

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Hopefully, the chapter wasn't too choppy, but like I said at the beginning, I wanted to get Baby Bray's fate decided quickly. I'm not one for courtroom drama. And if you're wondering, "Why did everyone believe Abigail's story so quickly?" there's a reason, which will be explained in later chapters.**

 **I'll be doing a time jump in the next chapter, which is when the story will pick up. Bear with me, I'm still kinda rusty with my writing, and getting back into a good flow will take some time.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	5. Chapter 5

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Thanks for the faves and follows! They motivate me to work harder on this. Now, if you'd be kind enough to leave a review, that would make my day! Even if it's something as small as "great job!" or "Love this story!" it means a lot.**

 **Now, I will warn you lovely readers… I don't accept Guest reviews. Period. I'd like to be able to communicate with my readers, and if you have issues with my work, then I'll be happy to address it privately. Please make sure to have an FFDN account before you review.**

 **I forgot to give you the meaning of something Shin said to Abigail in the previous chapter. He called her** _ **Musume,**_ **which means** _ **Daughter**_ **in Japanese.**

 **We're about to jump well ahead into the future. It's time for Abigail to go back to her timeline. How much has she changed? Well, as Good Ol' JR says… Business is about to pick up!;)**

 **DISCLAIMERS: See Chapter One**

 _ **Chapter Five**_

 _"She taught me. She taught me from a young age. She said 'you got to get them before they get you. A rattlesnake's skin is the same color as the leaves,' she said. And we all understood her. She led us with her love but she taught us that the fires, well, they were our friends too. 'The world is an evil place,' she said. And we agreed. And I was there, I was there when she took her final breath. She pulled me in close and she said, 'you're the one.' She said, 'They chose you, long before you were ever in existence.' And I understood what she meant. Her touch could save the world but her kiss burns it to the ground. I love you, Sister Abigail."_

 _-Bray Wyatt, Monday Night RAW, 8/26/13_

Bray lumbered slowly into Shin's living room. Abigail had been bedridden for several weeks with a mysterious ailment that drained her strength. "Asuka's tried everything she can think of, but none of it's made a lick of difference," he sighed, with tears in his voice. "She's dying, Shin."

"My condolences, Bray." Shinsuke placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. Bray had grown into a strapping young man. He was taller than his surrogate father by at least three inches, and he was stocky, yet muscular. His eyes were a midnight blue, and his hair was curly and dark. He had the beginnings of a beard on his cheeks and chin, a look that suited him.

In spite of his imposing appearance, Bray was a kindly, gentle soul with the heart of a warrior, the mind of a healer, and the spirit of a wolf. Summers spent with the Reigns' pack had taught him to shift easily into his wolf abilities. Hours spent working in Asuka's clinic gave him a freakish knowledge of natural healing and health. And Shinsuke's method of iron-fist-in-a-velvet-glove discipline gave him much-needed self-control.

But it was Abigail's sweetness and love that helped balance discipline with compassion. She was a natural at motherhood, and she gave love and discipline in equal measure. "She taught me," Bray had once said. "She taught me from a young age. She said 'you got to get them before they get you. A rattlesnake's skin is the same color as the leaves,' she said. And I understand her. She leads me with her love but she teaches me that the fires, well, they're my friends too."

Now Abigail was dying. The most important person in Bray's life, apart from Shinsuke and Asuka, was not long for this world. The young half-demon had been preparing himself for this moment, but that wouldn't make the pain of her passing hurt any less. He'd have to lean on his extended family in order to get through the next few months.

"Thank you. When it's time…" Bray couldn't bring himself to say anything else, but Shinsuke knew what he was asking. "Can you cremate her, and scatter her ashes where she first found me?"

"I'll speak to Sika," Shinsuke assured Bray with a gentle smile. "I'm sure he'll honor your request. Abigail's season was short, but her memory will live forever if you allow it to."

"I will. I wanna find the abandoned, the hurt and the lonely, and give them a place to belong. I wanna create my pack in her memory. She did that for me, so it's only right that I give back."

"I think that's a good thing you want to do. Don't be afraid to come to me or Asuka if you need any help."

Just then, Asuka emerged from the bedroom. "Bray," she said, gently. "I think it's time. Abigail wants to see you…"

~~~AGARTHA~~~

Abigail's face was so thin, it looked like the face of a stranger. It was so pale, that if not for the frame of blonde hair, it would have blended into the pillow.

Bray sat in a chair next to Abigail's bed. "Why do you have to go, Abby?" he asked, his voice small.

"Because my season is short. But that's okay. I've had just enough time to help raise you to be strong and substantial. I know this may sound corny, but you're like a sunflower."

Bray tilted his head in amusement. "A sunflower?"

"I'd call you a sunflower, because you're bold, and brave, and adventurous. You'll tackle anything that comes your way. And you've inspired me and Shin and his sister with your courage and your high spirits. Shin, on the other hand would think of you as a snapdragon. Daring, headstrong, smart. Keeps everyone on their toes, too.

Bray couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped him. "I was a handful growing up, wasn't I?"

"You were. But you were worth all the effort. Promise me something. Promise me that you'll use your magic for good. Shin and Asuka and the Reignses would be heartbroken if you used what they've taught you to hurt people. Remember where you came from. You were abandoned. Cast out. Nobody gave you a chance, and you've proved everyone wrong, time and again. So take care of the abandoned. Give them all a place. Give them all a chance. At least the ones that you can find. Promise me, Bray."

"I promise."

"I don't have much time left. But I wanna make sure you remember a few things before I go. Remember that the world can be an evil place, but you don't have to be evil."

"I'll remember."

"Don't ever forget that a rattlesnake's skin is the same color as the leaves. Because no matter how kind and loving someone may be, you always have to be on your guard. So when you watch over those lost souls, watch your back. Because you could get bitten when you least expect it."

"I won't forget."

Abigail took Bray's hands into her fragile, thin ones. "You're a good young man, Bray. Shin and Sika, Asuka and me… all of us are blown away by your capacity for love and loyalty. I know none of us can claim you genetically, Bray, but you're the child of our hearts. Never forget that."

A sob escaped Bray's lips. "Abby…"

"You're the one, Bray," she whispered, her eyes locking with Bray's. "You were chosen, long before you were ever in existence. You're going to do great things someday. You've been groomed to be a good man. Don't let anything change that. It's time for me to go, baby Bray. I'll always be with you. And I'll always love you… "

~~~AGARTHA~~~

"Abigail? Abigail?"

Shinsuke's familiar voice drifted through the young girl's ears, and consciousness began to return by degrees. A groan escaped her lips, and she pried open her eyes.

"Shin?" Abigail sat up slowly and glanced around in bewilderment. Shinsuke sat cross-legged on his bedroom floor, reading. "What am I doing back in your house?"

Shinsuke chuckled as he set his book down and stood up. "Well, I guess you passed away in my bed. So, that's where you woke up."

"How long was I gone?"

"You were gone only a few hours."

Abigail bolted out of bed. "A few hours?! What the hell? How could I have only been gone a few hours when it felt like nearly two decades?"

"A thousand years can be just the twinkling of a star in the immensity of time." Shinsuke smiled and approached the bewildered young woman. "I'm impressed by how quickly you changed your father's path. So, it's time for you to go home, Abigail."

Abigail couldn't hide her gratitude. "Thank you, Shin. For everything."

"I didn't do much of anything, Abigail," Shinsuke pointed out, as he escorted the young girl to the front door of his house. "I merely took you back. You made the changes on your own. But let me warn you. The life that you're about to reenter will be far different from the one you left behind."

"I understand. I just wanna get home."

"Duly noted. Take care of yourself and your father, Abigail."

"I will." Before she stepped outside, Abigail turned back to the Kitsune, a question in her eyes. "Will we see each other again?"

Shinsuke smiled. "I have no doubt."

Abigail stepped outside and, in a blinding flash of light, disappeared.

~~~AGARTHA~~~

Shinsuke was in his Zen garden reading when the opening of a door and a female voice broke his concentration. "Shin? Sorry I'm late. I had a rush of customers right before I closed for the night. Believe you me, it's not easy to give service with a smile when you're expected somewhere five minutes ago…" The voice trailed off when the owner of said voice saw a stunned Shinsuke standing in the Zen garden. "Shin? Are you okay. You look like you haven't seen me in years."

Asuka- the sister, not the power-mad fake Seer- met eyes with her brother. She wore a black, short-sleeved blouse and faded jeans, and her hair was a tousled mop of bright colors. A puzzled look was on her pretty face.

Shinsuke moved first. He wrapped his sister in a grateful hug. Abigail had obviously done more than save her father. "Asuka. I'm so glad to see you!"

Asuka laughed. "Well, okay. Glad to see you too! So, what's for dinner?"

~~~AGARTHA~~~

Shinsuke was right. The life Abigail was reentering was far different from the life she'd left behind. The green hills she'd expected to find had been replaced by a much flatter landscape littered with giant trees, spanish moss, and wildflowers. She saw a street sign to her right that read _West 10th Street._

 _What is this?_ Abigail glanced around the neighborhood she'd just appeared in. It was a comfortable looking neighborhood in the human world. Judging from the position of the sun in the sky, it was early evening. The houses that lined the street looked old but well kept, and the lawns were trimmed. Older model cars and trucks were parked in the driveways. There were even a few RV's and boats scattered throughout.

She caught a glimpse of a license plate on the back of a truck. _What am I doing in Louisiana?_ Abigail wondered.

As she tried to process this development, a very familiar voice reached her ears. "Abby! Abby! _Abigail!_ Where are you? Dinner's almost ready!"

Abigail turned and her eyes widened. A young woman stepped into view. She was Abigail's height, with thick dark hair that spilled halfway down her back. She wore a magenta tank top, faded jeans and white sandals. Her cheeks were rosy, and her dark eyes sparkled.

The young woman smiled as she approached Abigail. "There you are! Aunt Paige sent me to look for you, and Uncle Bray was gonna start looking for you, too."

 _Aunt Paige? Uncle Bray?_

It took a moment for Abigail to recognize who was calling her. _"Nova?"_ she managed to squeak out. _"Is that you?!"_

Nova looked at Abigail like she'd just sprouted horns. "Yeah, it's me! I've been looking up and down the block for you. I was afraid you'd gone to the store to get candy or something." She paused and looked Abigail up and down. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

 _I just went through time to save my dad from becoming a power-hungry monster and saved Agartha from becoming a nuclear wasteland. So I'm a little out of sorts!_ was what Abigail wanted to say, but she knew that wouldn't fly in the human world. So what else could Abigail say? "Uhmmm… yeah. I'm okay. Let's go home."

~~~AGARTHA~~~

Nova ushered Abigail down a stone walkway to a two-story white house surrounded by shrubbery. A matching building-probably a garage or storage shed-stood nearby. A black older-model truck was parked in front of it. Lights were on in the house, and Abigail could smell food cooking.

What surprised Abigail the most was how everything looked. She remembered how dirty and trashed and unkempt her father's pack-and their houses-all were. This house and its surroundings were clean and well-kept. The lawn looked freshly mowed, and there were flower beds and garden boxes filled with herbs all over the place. The truck parked in front was an older one, but it looked almost new. The entire place gave off a feeling of coziness and security.

"Abigail! Nova! What are you two still doing outside? Get back in the house before you freeze!"

Abigail recognized her father's voice immediately. But it was different now. Kindly. Warm ...fatherly? She turned and saw her father standing on the front porch of the house. He was still tall and massive, with a full beard, and he was covered in tattoos, like she remembered. But this time, he wore faded jeans and a black tank top with a logo from some rock band printed across the front. His hair was twisted into long, dark dreadlocks that were twisted into a ponytail. His blue eyes twinkled.

Abigail stared at her father in shock. _"Dad?"_ she gasped. _"You're my dad?"_

"Of course I'm your dad!" Bray chuckled. "Who else would I be? Now get inside, both of you. We're about to serve dinner."

Abigail followed her dad into the house and was stunned by how it looked. The walls were painted a seafoam green, a refreshing contrast to the white cabinets and woodwork. The living room was comfortably furnished with a plump sofa and armchair and cozy throw pillows. Abigail couldn't help but grin. _This is so pretty!_ _I've always wanted to live in a house like this!_ she thought, brushing a lock of dark hair behind her ear-

Wait!

 _Dark hair?_

Abigail turned and stared in shock at herself in a mirror right next to the front door. She recognized her dad's blue eyes and chin, and she even saw the freckles across the bridge of her nose, but her blonde hair was gone. In its place was a full head of straight, dark hair. There were other differences, too. Her cheekbones looked a little higher, and her lips were fuller.

She also noticed that her kimono was gone. In its place was a plaid blouse knotted over a white tank top and black, pencil-slim jeans. A pair of black tennis shoes were on her feet.

"Your dinner's getting cold, girls. Nova, can you set the table for us? Abigail, I was about to send your dad to look for you. Don't go wandering off again when it's so close to dinner, alright?"

The voice was unmistakable. _Nova called her Aunt Paige,_ Abigail realized. _So does that mean she's my cousin? And Paige… Paige is my mother?! This is getting weird!_

 _Well, there's only one way to know for sure._ Slowly Abigail turned around and met eyes with the woman who was her mother in this new reality.

Paige stepped out of the kitchen and stood in front of Abigail, dressed in a purple camisole top and black skirt. Her feet were bare, and a black ring with a green stone in it adorned her left hand. She was fair-skinned and dark-haired as always. But she had a happy, contented glow about her, one that belonged to a happy, contented wife and mother.

 _Mother._

 _Paige was Abigail's mother._

A look of maternal worry crossed Paige's face. She drew closer and felt Abigail's forehead. "Abigail? Sweetie, are you okay? You're as white as a ghost."

 _"Uh… Mom?"_ was all Abigail could choke out before she keeled over in a stone cold faint.

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Okay. Mind… blown.**

 **Asuka's alive and healthy, and she's expecting her brother to cook dinner! LOL. Abigail and Nova live in Louisiana, they are cousins in this reality, and Bray and Paige are** _ **married?!**_ **I know you're probably scratching your heads, and there's more questions than answers at the moment, but I promise it'll make sense!**

 **Now, the next couple of chapters will explain how Bray and Paige got together, answer why Nova's living with them, and reintroduce Shin and Asuka as brother and sister. Looks like Abigail's changed a whole lot of destinies with her decision to go back. It's like the butterfly effect. Change one thing, change EVERYTHING!**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE (EVEN IF YOU'RE CONFUSED, LOL!)**


	6. Chapter 6

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Thanks for the reviews! And if I've scared anyone off from leaving reviews because of my stance on Guest reviews, it's kinda sorry-not-sorry.**

 **I've put together my Photobucket album of pictures related to this story. I'll PM the link to anyone who's interested.**

 **This chapter's gonna flesh out Abigail's new life, and answer why everything concerning Bray seemed a bit too easy. Suffice it to say Shin had a hand in it.**

 **DISCLAIMER: See Chapter One**

 _ **Chapter Six**_

Abigail opened her eyes and found herself in a pretty upstairs bedroom. She was laying on a full-size bed with blue and white striped sheets and pillows and a light green quilt with white polka dots on it. A lamp burned softly above her bed. Across from her stood a dresser made of distressed wood, and an iPhone (she had an iPhone?) was charging on top of it. The walls were painted a dark blue that contrasted with the white woodwork. A pastel-colored throw rug lay on the polished hardwood floor.

She couldn't help but grin. Compared to where she'd lived in and slept in the previous timeline, this was a palace.

"Oh, good! You're awake." Nova entered the bedroom, holding a ceramic mug.

"What time is it?" asked Abigail, sitting up.

"It's a little after eight."

"I missed dinner, didn't I?" Abigail gasped. "Oh, no! I'm so sorry!"

"No big deal," Nova assured her, sitting on the foot of Abigail's bed. "Aunt Paige saved you a plate. It's in the fridge if you wanna reheat it."

"What happened?"

"You passed out in the kitchen. Uncle Bray brought you upstairs." Nova paused. "Something the matter, Abby?"

"Uh, yeah. Why are you calling my dad Uncle Bray?"

"Because he is, silly!" Nova laughed. "He and Aunt Paige took me in after Mom and Dad died." Her expression changed from jovial to concerned. "Abby? Did you hit your head on the way down? 'Cause you're looking at me like you've never seen me before, and we've grown up together."

 _Pull yourself together, Abigail! Hide your astonishment. Get acquainted with your new surroundings later._ "I… I'm sorry. I guess I'm really _not_ feeling well."

"I figured you weren't. Here, drink this."

"Thanks." Abigail took the cup from Nova's hands and sipped. The drink tasted pleasant, minty and sweet. "Mmmm. What's in this?"

"Peppermint, some cherry juice, vervain, kava kava and licorice. It'll help settle your nerves. It's the first time I've made this myself. I was gonna use valerian root, but that stuff smells like old socks. It took some time to get the measurements right. Too much of one thing can affect our powers."

 _Powers?_ Our _powers? I have powers?_ "Aunt Paige taught you this," Abigail asked.

"Uncle Bray did, believe it or not. He's got a freakishly huge knowledge about herbal remedies." Nova then tried to imitate Bray's voice but failed epically. "That junk they sell over the counter won't be found in this house."

Abigail had to smile at the mention of "freakish knowledge." Shin had taught her father well, it seemed.

"By the way, Braun's been blowing up your phone all evening. It's been vibrating so much, I was about to chuck it out the window. I finally answered it, and I told him you weren't feeling well."

Abigail set her now empty cup on the windowsill. "Braun?" Last time she'd checked, her father hated Braun and had forced Abigail to give away her virtue so that Braun would reject her, and she'd have no choice but to bend to Bray's will. Now, Braun was calling her? Blowing up her phone?

Weird.

But in this new timeline, it made sense.

"Your boyfriend. I swear it's sappy, how crazy the two of you are for each other. You spent all of homeroom one morning writing down your married name. Abigail P. Strowman. Abigail Strowman. Abby Strowman. Mrs. Abigail Strowman. Mrs. Braun Strowman. Abigail W. Strowman. Abigail Wyatt Strowman. Abby Wyatt Strowman. Sometimes with a hyphen, sometimes without a hyphen. You even spelled out the hyphen once or twice."

"Really? I did that?" Abigail cocked a glossy dark eyebrow.

"Well, yeah!" Nova snorted back. "I'm surprised you haven't invited Braun to the party yet."

"Party?"

"The big party. Friday night. We're going to Amazun Cajun in Lafayette for my birthday. Y'know, the kitchy place with the giant crab on the roof. We've been planning it for weeks."

At the words, _Amazun Cajun,_ Abigail's memories were assaulted by the smell and taste of Cajun cooking. She could almost taste the blackened redfish, fired up and savory with cayenne, garlic, onion, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Amazun Cajun made the best blackened redfish, and Abigail always ordered it whenever she, her parents and her cousin went there. And her meal wasn't complete unless she had the key lime pie for dessert. It was cool and sweet and creamy and tangy, perfect for putting out the spicy fire in her mouth.

Her dad teased Abigail about it once, saying that if she didn't order the blackened redfish and key lime pie, that meant there was a disturbance in the universe-

 _Wait! Where'd this memory come from?!_

Nova looked a bit more concerned now as she reached over and unplugged Abigail's iPhone. "I _really_ think you hit your head when you passed out. Why don't you get some rest. And while you're doing that…" Nova dropped the iPhone into Abigail's lap before walking out of the bedroom. "Call your boyfriend. Or at least fire off a text or two or six ..."

~~~AGARTHA~~~

Abigail unlocked her phone, the security code being Braun's birthdate ( _How did I know that?_ she wondered). She was equally surprised to see a picture of herself with Braun as her background. There were three missed calls and a text from a phone number that she easily identified as Braun's. The last text read: _Hi, Abby! Nova said U weren't feeling well. Call or text me when U get this message. No pressure.:)_

 _Might as well be honest… sort of!_ Abigail thought before she sent her text. _Hi! Just texting U back. I passed out at dinner. Guess I forgot to invite U 2 Nova's birthday party, duh! It wouldn't be half as fun without U. It's at Amazun Cajun. Friday night._

Braun texted back: _Glad you're feeling better. Amazun Cajun, huh? Guess blackened redfish and key lime pie are in your future?_

Abigail had to laugh at that. _U know me 2 well,_ she typed. She leaned back against the pillows, suddenly feeling comfortable. Life in this new reality was looking pretty sweet. She lived in a nice house, she had two parents, Nova was her cousin, and she apparently had some sort of powers. On top of that, Braun was her boyfriend.

There was plenty more to explore in this new timeline, but for now, Abigail was going to consider this a rousing success.

~~~AGARTHA~~~

Back in Shinsuke's home in the Eastern realms, Asuka looked on in horror at the reality that would have taken place if Bray had kidnapped Nova. She nearly threw up the meal of _yaki soba_ that her brother had kindly prepared for her on short notice.

 _"I did all of that?!"_ Asuka gasped. She turned away from the Zen garden pool and looked ready to cry. "Bray would have died because of me! I'm a horrible Kitsune!"

Shinsuke wrapped his sister up in a gentle hug. "No you aren't," he assured her. "That's what would have happened if nobody had intervened. You taking care of Bray as a child killed the Phoenix corruption inside of you. I only showed you that reality so that you'd understand the consequences."

Asuka pulled away from her brother's embrace. Thoughts of Bray as a bubbly, chubby-cheeked, blue-eyed toddler, and then a strapping, handsome young man, filled Asuka's mind and made her smile. "I guess I should thank you for showing me this. By raising him properly, I re-raised myself." She paused. "So, Abigail went back in time to save her father from this fate. And in doing so, she saved me. But one thing bothers me. Why did the Council agree so readily to you taking Bray? And why did they believe Abigail's story so quickly?"

"Because I take my responsibilities as a Seer very, very seriously. And it doesn't hurt to… subconsciously influence the involved parties. Past, present, and future."

Asuka stared at her brother in shock. "You devious bastard!" she laughed, before playfully punching him in the arm.

"It worked, did it not?" Shinsuke smirked. "And Kitsunes are good at trickery. You should know that, you are one as well. And it was a success. I got my sister back, Agartha is safe for now, and Bray's been set on the proper path."

"Safe for now?" Asuka tilted her head in concern. "What do you mean, _Safe for now?"_

Shinsuke's expression became serious. "Just because the path of one has changed doesn't mean the danger to Agartha has disappeared. It's merely changed shape. But, by going back, Abigail has provided us with an army of allies with a good sense of danger, who are willing to fight to the death to protect Agartha."

"Bray's pack." Asuka nodded in understanding. "I've spent time with them. They're kinda rough around the edges, but they have the biggest hearts of any pack I know of. Walking through the dark woods is much safer now, knowing that someone from that pack is always patrolling it. Of course there's a few Rogues around still, but their numbers have greatly diminished. But why doesn't Bray live with his pack full-time?"

Shinsuke stroked his chin in deep thought for a moment. The answers were coming to him quite easily now. "Because Wyatt's pack can take care of itself. Besides, Bray and his wife have something far more valuable in the human world to protect at the moment. Abigail's cousin."

"Nova, right?"

"You catch on quickly, Asuka. Bray and his wife have seen to it that her powers will never get out of control. Yet she's still sought after by those who want to misuse her." Shinsuke paused, and then once more, he waved his hand over the surface of the pool. "Y'know, I think I should bring you up to speed on what's happened the past few years. I hope you don't have to work tomorrow, because this may take some time…"

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Shortest chapter so far, but I feel like I ran out of steam at the end. In case you're wondering, Amazun Cajun came from the Jeep Compass commercial, where the couple is looking for "Authentic Cajun food." Do a YouTube search for "Jeep Cajun food" and you'll probably find it. The restaurant in the commercial made me think of the kitchy tourist places that are actually worth visiting.**

 **The next chapter won't be so much a chapter as a rundown of Bray and Paige's history, Nova's life with her aunt and uncle, and decisions that'll shape Nova for the battles yet to come.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE (EVEN IF MY CHAPTER'S NOT UP TO SNUFF)**


	7. Chapter 7

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: As I'm writing this, it's October 23, 2018. Roman Reigns has relinquished his championship and will be undergoing treatment for Leukemia. On top of that, Dean Ambrose turned major heel and attacked Seth Rollins. So, I'm kinda gutted at this point.**

 **However, I'm continuing with this story. This chapter will be more of a series of vignettes to give a rundown of Bray's altered life with Paige, Abigail and Nova. And since Bray's the focus here, it'll be the perfect distraction. With that said, fight the good fight, Romie! I may not like your character, but I wouldn't wish cancer on anybody. Get well soon!**

 **DISCLAIMERS: See Chapter One**

 _ **Chapter Seven**_

"I was abandoned by my mother when I was born," Bray explained to a mixed multitude of wolves who sat around him. "Abigail found me in a basket floating down a stream. There were others that wanted to cast me aside without giving me a chance, but Abigail rescued me. She, the Reigns pack, my Seer and his sister, they raised me and made sure I use what powers I have for good. I proved to them, time and again, that I was worth their efforts.

"In that aspect, you're like me. Cast out. Abandoned, without a chance to prove yourselves. You're not bad or evil. You're not mistakes. You're not screw ups. You're misunderstood, and you need a place to belong. So, I'm giving you that place. I'm giving you that chance. Prove them all wrong. And if they don't believe you... prove them wrong again."

It was the same story Bray told to Luke Harper and Erick Rowan when they'd first joined his pack, and now they were his Beta and Gamma respectively. He'd set out to keep the promise he'd made to Abigail after her passing and created his pack in her memory. The abandoned, the downtrodden, the cast off… they were welcomed with open arms. They had a place to live, to work, to belong.

But it wasn't a free ride by any means. Bray Wyatt ran a tight ship. He had rules that he expected every pack member to follow. Chop and gather wood. Keep your cabins clean. Cook for the pack when it was your turn. Keep the camp picked up. Patrol the woods when it was your turn. Respect and take care of your fellow pack members. And most importantly, respect the other packs and their territories. Don't steal. Don't lie. Don't hurt others. Have the heart of a warrior, the mind of a healer, and the spirit of a wolf. And never forget Sister Abigail.

The rules had served the Wyatt pack well over the years. Of course there were those who couldn't follow the rules, or chose not to, but they were few and far between. Sure, Bray and his mixed multitude looked a bit rough, but over time, they'd quietly built a reputation as fierce but loyal guardians of the woods. Slowly but surely, they became valued allies, rough around the edges but good-hearted, with a good sense of danger, and a willingness to fight to the death to protect their own and others.

Of course, many a skeptic would say otherwise, but their opinions didn't matter to the Wyatt pack.

~~~AGARTHA~~~

 _Bray, the Council is here to see you._

Luke's mindlink roused Bray out of a sound sleep in the bedroom of his pack house. He spent most of his time in the human world, as a tattoo artist and custom bike builder in Lafayette, Louisiana. Every so often, he'd visit Shinsuke, and he also helped Asuka at her clinic when she needed it. But during the summer, he traveled to Agartha to visit the Reigns pack, oversee his own pack and help his Beta and Gamma improve their leadership skills.

This was where he was now.

He groaned and pried his eyes open. _All of them?_ Bray mindlinked.

 _No. Just Sika, Trish, and Sheamus._

 _I'm always happy to see Sika. Sheamus, on the other hand, is a giant pain, and Trish… Something about that witch sets my teeth on edge. Sheamus and Trish, well… they can wait all day, for all I care._

 _Hey, don't be so disrespectful, remember what Sika did for you._

 _I wouldn't in a million years disrespect Sika, and I don't wanna keep him waiting. But I do take offense to certain people, especially those who voted to end my life before it even started. I have an idea why they've all come calling, Luke. Tell them I'll be there as soon as I can…_

~~~AGARTHA~~~

Bray greeted Sika warmly, but cast a suspicious glance at Trish and Sheamus before sitting down. "I think I know why you're all here."

"You realize that you can't be Alpha without a mate, Bray. You need a successor to carry on your pack," Sheamus said, getting right to the point. "And if you don't have one, then we pick one, and she'll be your mate, whether you want her or not."

"You seem to take great pleasure in constantly reminding me of that fact, Sheamus."

"Without a female, Bray, your pack will fall apart," Trish said. "And Harper and Rowan won't be able to have young with their mates," she added.

Bray flinched. As a half-wolf who'd spent his summers with the Reigns pack growing up, he understood the dynamics of pack procreation. Until he found a mate and produced a child of his own, his Beta and Gamma wouldn't be able to conceive. He knew how much Luke and Ruby and Liv and Erick wanted children, so that had made his search more urgent.

 _Had_ being the operative word.

"Well, you won't have to pick a mate for me," Bray grinned, before dropping his bombshell. "I've found a mate to carry on my pack."

"That didn't take long," Sika grinned, genuinely pleased for the half-demon. He caught the put-off look on Sheamus's face and added, "You look disappointed. Were you that determined to play matchmaker?"

Sheamus said nothing. Instead, he crossed his arms and glared down at the table.

"Abigail and Shin taught me that when you find your soulmate," Bray said, "The attraction is irresistible."

"Abigail and your Seer are quite wise." Sika chimed in, with a genuine smile.

"Yes. Abby was a good woman, and I'm proud to call Shin my Seer."

Trish finally chimed in. "So, who is this mate that you've found?"

"Her name is Paige."

"Paige who?"

"Paige Knight."

Sheamus cocked an eyebrow. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"She's Saraya Knight's daughter," Trish answered.

Sheamus looked incredulous. "Saraya Knight. From the Hardy coven?"

"The Hardy coven broke apart after Matt was killed in the battle with Kane," Sika pointed out. "From what I understand, they all moved to the human world, and they seem to have done fairly well for themselves. Matt's brother is in North Carolina, working as an artist, the last I heard. How did the two of you meet?"

"As you know, I work in the human world as a tattoo artist and custom bike builder. I met Paige at a convention in Texas. We hit it off, and we've been inseparable ever since."

Sika looked pleased. Trish had resting bitch face, so it was hard to tell what she was thinking. Sheamus looked disappointed.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Sheamus," Bray grinned. "Looks like you had your heart set on being a matchmaker. All of you are cordially invited to the wedding, of course ..."

~~~AGARTHA~~~

It was a beautiful wedding, all red and black and Gothic. Bray and Paige stood in front of the minister in the packed banquet hall. Many of Bray and Paige's friends (both human and supernatural in human form) were in attendance. Sika, Shinsuke and Asuka were honored guests who sat in the front row. Luke was the best man, and Brie Danielson was the matron of honor. Becky Lynch, Bryan's niece, was one of the bridesmaids, and Bryan Danielson, Brie's husband, was a groomsman. Paige looked stunning in a sleeveless, full-skirted wedding gown of red taffeta and gold brocade inlay. Bray was resplendent in a steampunk style black tuxedo and red ascot.

Paige grinned as she recited her own vows. "Bray, you're my best friend, mentor, playmate, confidant and my greatest challenge. But most importantly, you're the love of my life and you make me happier than I could ever imagine and more loved than I ever thought possible.

"These last few months have been the best months of my life. Each day and each night that we've spent together have been absolutely magical. I promise, Bray, to love you, to honor you, and of course, to have the patience that love demands, to speak when words are needed and to share in the silence when they aren't. And I can't wait to be Mrs. Paige Wyatt forever."

Bray took Paige's hands in his. "You look so beautiful right now. I feel like I'm looking at the real you. That's the you that I first saw back in Texas. I know we hit it off, but there were so many other things that I wanted to say to you, all these things in my head. And I-I froze up. But now it's going to be different… 'cause it's just you… and me.

"I promise to be faithful and supportive and to always make our family's love and happiness my priority. I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. I promise to be your navigator, consoler, sidekick, best friend and your husband. Finally, I promise you myself. I'll dream with you, celebrate with you and walk beside you, through whatever our lives may bring. You are my person—my love and my life, today and always."

"Paige," the minister began, "Do you take Bray to be your lawfully wedded husband? As your companion and friend? Do you take him to stand united in the face of adversity, and to celebrate together all of life's good fortunes? With these words spoken, and all of those yet unspoken, do you wish to marry Bray, and join your life with his?"

Paige could barely contain herself. "I do!"

"And Bray, do you take Paige to be your lawfully wedded wife? As your companion and friend? Do you take her to stand united in the face of adversity, and to celebrate together all of life's good fortunes? With these words spoken, and all of those yet unspoken, do you wish to marry Paige, and join your life with hers?"

Bray smiled as he answered, "I do."

"May I have the rings, please?"

Luke gave the rings to the minister, who handed the rings to the bride and groom.

"Bray, as you place the ring on Paige's finger, please repeat after me: 'I, Bray, take Paige to be my wife'."

"I, Bray, take Paige to be my wife."

"I promise you love, honor and respect, and to be faithful to you."

"I promise you love, honor and respect, and to be faithful to you."

"And forsaking all others, as long as we both shall live."

"And forsaking all others, as long as we both shall live."

The pastor turned to the bride. "Paige, as you place the ring on Bray's finger, please repeat after me: 'I, Paige, take Bray to be my husband'."

"I, Paige, take Bray to be my husband."

"I promise you love, honor and respect, and to be faithful to you."

"I promise you love, honor and respect, and to be faithful to you."

"And forsaking all others, as long as we both shall live."

"And forsaking all others, as long as we both shall live."

"Throughout this ceremony," the pastor announced, turning towards the audience, "Paige and Bray have vowed, in our presence, to be loyal and loving towards each other. They have formalized the existence of the bond between them with words spoken and with the giving and receiving of rings. Therefore, by the power vested in me by this state, it is my pleasure to now pronounce them husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride!"

~~~AGARTHA~~~

Bray and his new wife settled down in the human world, in a small town in Louisiana called Crowley. They purchased a small but comfortable two story white house with plenty of room for additions.

"A year from now… maybe... maybe two… I was thinking that maybe we could start a family of our own," Bray said to his new wife as they lounged together on the couch one night. "What do you think about that?"

"I'd love that. I think you'd be an awesome father. You want a boy or a girl?"

"A little girl with your eyes and your smile. Oh, that'd be perfect. You'd make such an amazing mother."

"I'd rather she had your eyes and your smile, Bray. But boy or girl, I'm a witch. You're half-demon, half wolf. I guess Baby's gonna be a supernatural Heinz 57."

Bray sighed, content. "Y'know, I think it's smart for us to start our family when we're more… financially stable. I wanna make sure my business down here turns a profit first."

Paige sighed. "That was the plan, Bray."

Bray glanced over at his wife, who had a knowing look on her face. "What do you mean, _was?"_ A moment passed, then another. "Paige, are you pregnant?"

Paige glanced down and looked sheepish. "You're not angry, are you?" she ventured cautiously, instinctively wrapping her arms around her still-flat belly.

"Angry?" Bray couldn't stop the grin from stretching across his face. With an overjoyed yell, he spring up from the couch and swooped his wife up in his arms. "Paige, I'm ecstatic! I'm gonna be a daddy!"

~~~AGARTHA~~~

"Just a couple more pushes, Paige, and it'll be over!" coached the midwife, as Paige, in the throes of hard labor, lay in the bathtub. The water was warm and it helped ease the labor pains somewhat. Bray crouched on the floor, holding his wife's hand. Paige was squeezing his hand so tightly, his thumb would later turn black and blue, but he didn't feel it yet.

Paige glanced over to her husband and gave him an icy glare. "What the fuck are you smiling for, Bray?!"

Bray couldn't help himself. "We're having a baby!"

The look on Paige's face was almost homicidal as she grabbed him by the beard. "What the fuck do you mean WE'RE having a baby? I'M having this baby, you're just riding shotgun!" Another contraction hit. "OWWW!"

"Harder, Paige!" instructed the midwife. "You're doing great, one more…" The midwife caught the newborn as it slid out, and moments later, the sounds of a squalling baby filled the bathroom "It's a girl!"

Paige couldn't help herself. "Is she normal?"

The midwife smiled as she cleaned off the newborn. "As far as I can tell, she's beautiful!" After taking the baby's vitals and weighing her (she was 7 pounds, 6 ounces, with a great set of lungs), the midwife placed the baby on Paige's chest. Bray had the honors of cutting the baby's umbilical cord.

"Have you decided on a name?" asked the midwife after she wrapped the newborn up in a blanket and presented her to the new parents.

"Her name's Abigail Paige Wyatt." The new parents had chosen Abigail to honor the woman who'd helped raise Bray, and Paige as the middle name.

Later that day, in bed, Paige and her husband marveled at their new baby. They'd have plenty of visitors later to meet the newest Wyatt, so the new parents were enjoying some peace and quiet before they arrived. "She's got your eyes and your chin, Bray."

Bray kissed his wife on the cheek. "Good job, Mommy. I'm proud of you." He gazed down at the sleeping newborn. There were tears in his voice as he said, "Hello there, Abigail. Your mommy and I both love you very much."

~~~AGARTHA~~~

"Abigail was such a cute baby, wasn't she?" Asuka sighed, as the image in Shinsuke's reflecting pool faded.

"She certainly was. And quite a spunky little thing when she grew older." Shinsuke smiled at the memories that were suddenly flooding his mind. "And her powers were emerging. When I dropped by for a visit. Abigail was just two. She was playing in the dirt beside the house and I saw her playing with a set of marbles. Which would have been nothing special, but the marbles were moving around all by themselves. Back and forth, side to side, and even up and down.

"And that's when Bray and Paige started training Abigail to use her magic sensibly. Of course, Louisiana's a hotbed of magic, so they could conceal her powers easily. And that came into play when Brie and Bryan had their child. Nova was five years old when Bray invited them all to spend a week with them. That visit changed the course of Nova's life ..."

Shinsuke waved his hand over the pool once more, and a new scene emerged from the swirling colors…

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Aaaannnd… I'm gonna stop there. Plenty more table setting, and I need to develop more story from the Agartha side. If you've followed Jessica619's** _ **Into The Woods**_ **series, then you'll know that an agreement was broken, leading to Nova's birth. That agreement will come back into play, which will reveal the true antagonist. Suffice it to say that the road to Hell will be paved with good intentions.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE (AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CELEBRATE IT… HAPPY TURKEY DAY!)**


	8. Chapter 8

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Thanks for the reviews, faves and follows. Fair warning: you'll want to read jessica619's** _ **Into The Woods**_ **series if you get lost or confused. This next chapter is more table-setting, but it's here to establish Nova's background in this altered timeline. I'm considering publishing this as a part one, and then doing a part two.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: See Chapter One. To be on the safe side, I ran this chapter by Jessica to see if she wanted me to change anything.**

 _ **Chapter Eight**_

"So stuff's catching fire?" Bray asked, as he sat cross-legged on the floor. He, his wife, his daughter and his guests were in the living room, having finished dinner earlier.

"Yeah. Most of the time, it's papers or small things that can be easily extinguished," Brie sighed. "But a few nights ago, the drapes in the living room caught fire. We could barely put it out. And that's not all. Whenever she cries or screams, car alarms go off and glass breaks."

"You knew how dangerous it was for you to break that agreement," Bray admonished, gently. "But I understand why you ran. I couldn't imagine you married to my father. The very thought of marrying him would make _anyone_ wanna break an agreement."

"Brie and I thought we could raise Nova in the human world," Bryan admitted. "But it's been a lot harder than we thought. Nova's an outsider. She doesn't have any friends, and the teachers and neighbors are no help at all."

"The kids don't like me very much," Nova chimed in.

"Why don't they like you?" Paige asked.

"Because I set a wall of pictures on fire in kindergarten and I melted a box of crayons. Then one of the kids called me a freak and threw sand at me. I put my hand up, and he went across the room. He wasn't hurt, but the teacher yelled at me, and then she sent me home."

"Why would the teacher send you home? Your classmate was being mean to you."

"Because her teacher's a bitch," another little girl's voice chimed in.

"ABIGAIL!" Paige gasped in shock at the blue-eyed, dark-haired little girl sitting the couch.

"It's true," Abigail said. "She yelled at Nova and sent her home. She's a bitch."

"Where'd you learn that language, Abigail?" Paige demanded.

"From Daddy."

Bray's face turned red from embarrassment, and Paige glared at him. "Bray, when we have a spare moment, we're gonna have a talk about you using profanity around our daughter," she said in a low voice.

"You have to help us," Bryan pleaded. "Brie's family can't know about her powers."

"If they find out about Nova, they'll take her," Brie cried. Babies who were born Phoenixes were rare; Brie's parents tried for several years till they finally had Brie and her twin sister, Nikki.

"Let me see her," Paige said. Brie handed over her little girl. Paige waved her hand over Nova, and a purple light glowed across Nova's face. Nova giggled and smiled at Paige and her husband.

"She needs to learn how to use her abilities. The sooner you start teaching her, the better. I see multiple paths in her future," Paige said, handing Nova back to her parents.

"Bad paths?" Bryan asked, shuddering. "You don't think Randy will..." He couldn't finish the sentence.

"Do you know if anyone from our world knows about her?" Brie asked.

"They know _of_ her," Paige answered, "But they haven't figured out who and what she is yet. I see bad, but I also see good. Three good men who are sworn to protect her, and one of them will love her more than life itself."

"Who?"

"They've been searching for their future Alpha's mate for a long time," Paige answered. "They know she's been born, so expect them in the future."

"Did you say Alpha?" Brie asked.

"Wolves, three werewolves," Bray said, nodding; he shared his wife's vision.

"You said men, not animals," Brie said, knitting her brows in distaste. "No offense, Bray."

"None taken," Bray assured her. "My pack consists of, for lack of a better word, mutts."

"They're part human, part animal," Paige explained. The alpha is the only one born from two werewolf parents."

"Reigns or Orton?" Brie asked, afraid of the answer.

The Reigns pack was well respected because they respected others; they didn't attack unless provoked. The Ortons, on the other hand, weren't so much respected as they were feared. They were reptiles who used that fear to act like they were better than everyone else. For years they wanted to marry off Randy to a Bella family member. Who better to marry into the Orton family than Brie's daughter?

"I can't tell you, because it could change her future," Paige said.

"What can we do?" Bryan asked.

"Can you cloak her, even if it's just for a couple of years?" Brie asked, desperately.

"If these three men know about her, so do the Ortons," Paige said. "I can cloak her, but it's like putting a Band-aid on a gaping wound. It'll only last so long before they start searching for her. Her powers will be hidden, but you will be able to take down the cloak and put it back up when you finish your lessons."

"But, there's a catch," Bray warned. "As Nova's powers grow stronger, the cloak will grow weaker and become harder to put back up. Eventually, the cloak won't hide her powers, and Nova will be vulnerable."

Brie sighed. She didn't sound too enthused. "Hopefully, Bryan and I can teach her enough before that happens. Cloaking her may be the only option we have."

"Alright, then," sighed Paige. "Let's do this-"

"Paige, honey," Bray interrupted, gently. "Wait. Don't cloak her just yet. I think there's another solution."

"You can help her?" Brie asked, hope lightning up her eyes.

"It's a long shot, but it may be the only chance Nova has for a somewhat normal life."

"What are you proposing?" Bryan asked.

"We split her powers in half. Nova will have half, I'll have the other," Bray explained.

Bryan wasn't quite convinced. "Split her powers? Will it work?"

"If we don't do this, then Nova's powers will only get stronger. Eventually, her Phoenix will take over, and it'll only spell disaster. This way, Nova will still have her powers, but they'll be easier to control, and it'll be easier to train Nova. And it'll be more difficult for those who mean her harm to find her, because her powers won't be as strong, and they'll be harder to detect."

"Are you sure you can do this?" Paige gasped. " The only being able to do it, other than another Phoenix, is a demon."

"I'm part demon. I know the language," Bray assured his wife. "You have to trust me."

Paige pressed her lips into a tight line before she spoke. "Okay. I trust you."

Bray turned his attention back to his guests. "Brie, Bryan. Do you trust me?"

"We haven't got much of a choice, do we?" Brie shrugged.

"If it gives Nova a shot at living a normal life," Bryan said, "Then go for it."

Bray looked towards Nova and patted the space next to him. "Nova, come over and sit by your Uncle Bray." The little girl toddled over to the big man and plopped down on the floor next to him. "Y'know, your Mommy and Daddy want your Aunt Paige and me to help you with your magic. And if you give me some of it, it'll make you feel better. Can I have some of your magic?"

"Okay." Nova chirped. Nova liked her Uncle Bray. He was big and kind.

"I want you to take my hands and close your eyes. I promise, after you do, you're gonna feel a lot better." Nova put her tiny hands in Bray's and scrunched her eyes shut.

Bray chanted something in an ancient language. Suddenly, Nova giggled as she felt like she was being tickled. Bray glowed a soft orange before he snapped his eyes open.

"Look!" Nova laughed. "Uncle Bray's all lit up! He looks like a big candle!"

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Bray gasped, before he keeled over backwards and hit the floor with a resounding _thud._ He was out cold.

~~~AGARTHA~~~

"What hit me?" Bray groaned and rubbed his head. He opened his eyes and noticed it was light outside.

"Welcome back to the land of the living."

Bray struggled to sit up, just as his wife entered the bedroom. "How long was I out?"

"You were asleep eighteen hours straight. Good thing our bedroom's on the ground floor. Getting you upstairs would have been impossible." Paige sat on the edge of the bed and brushed a stray lock of her husband's hair out of his eyes. "How do you feel?"

"Like I've been hit by a bus. How's Nova?"

Paige smiled. "She's fine. She and Abigail are eating some lunch. Already, those two are thick as thieves." The two little girls had hit it off instantly and were well on their way to becoming best friends.

Bray smiled back. "That's good to know. Nova looked pretty lonely. Nice to know that she has a little playmate now who actually _gets_ her." He paused. "Have you or Brie or Bryan seen anything unusual with Nova? I mean…"

"It's okay. I know what you mean. So far, we haven't seen or felt anything unusual. I think splitting her powers was a good idea." Paige stood up. "I made chicken nuggets, macaroni and steamed broccoli for lunch. It was for the girls, but I figure you wouldn't want anything big. I'll fix you a plate."

"That'll be perfect. Thanks."

Paige walked across the bedroom floor. Just before she left, she glanced over her shoulder. "And after lunch, we're gonna have that talk about you using profanity around our daughter."

Bray groaned.

~~~AGARTHA~~~

"I know this was a vacation, but I suspected there was more to your visit. Helping Nova was part of it, but that isn't all, is it?" Bray asked Bryan.

"No. It isn't," Bryan admitted, rather sheepishly. He and Bray were on the back porch sipping iced tea. It was now early evening. "I have something kinda serious I need to discuss with you. Look, I hope we haven't inconvenienced you guys, and I know it was short notice-"

"Hey, it's okay, Bryan," Bray reassured him. "Paige and I aren't inconvenienced, if that's what you're thinking. We love having you guys here." He paused. "I know you and Brie hate using magic because of the complications it creates in the human world, but if you need us, we'll always be a phone call away, and if need be, there is a more secure line you guys can use, and that's the magic line," He paused again. "So, what is it exactly that you need to discuss?"

Bryan pressed his lips together in a tight line before he spoke. "Bray, if anything happens to Brie and me, I want you and Paige to take care of Nova for us. Brie and I already drew up the necessary paperwork. If you and Paige don't want the responsibility, we both understand. We have others we can turn to, but my wife and I wanted to ask you first."

Bray let out a soft chuckle. "You _really_ had to ask, Bryan? I hope that day never comes, but I won't let anyone lay a hand on her if it does. Paige and I will love her like our own."

"Thank you. Brie and I can't tell you how much we appreciate that." They hugged, Bryan grateful that his daughter would be cared for and safe should anything happen.

~~~AGARTHA~~~

The ringing of the house phone interrupted Bray and his wife as they were eating dinner two weeks later. Bray got up to answer. "Hello? Yes, this is Bray. Okay. What? No. Oh, no! Is Nova okay? She's my niece. Okay. My wife and I will be out there as soon as we can. They named my wife and me as her legal guardians. Thank you."

Paige saw the stricken look on Bray's face. "Honey, what is it?"

Bray hung the phone up. "There's been an explosion. Brie and Bryan's house. The authorities think it was a gas leak. The house is completely demolished."

"Brie and Bryan," Paige gasped. "Are they-"

"They're both dead, Paige. Nova's in emergency protective custody. We have to get her now..."

~~~AGARTHA~~~

The way Nova sat on the couch in the living room at the foster home reminded Paige of a piece of old furniture waiting to be hauled off and thrown away. Now that someone was on their way to claim her, the little girl was no longer anyone's responsibility anymore, and it showed.

"Sweetheart. Nova." Paige knelt down and hugged the little girl. Nova wrapped her little arms around her aunt's neck and began to sob. "Uncle Bray and I are here. We're gonna take you home with us. Uncle Bray's getting all of your things together."

After a moment, Nova lifted her head. Her face was tearstained and her eyes were red. "Am I gonna see Mommy and Daddy again?"

"You'll see them again, Sweetie. Just not in this lifetime." Paige murmured as she ruffled the little girl's hair and picked her up. She carried her out of the living room and into a radically changed future.

~~~AGARTHA~~~

"Did Nova's parents have to die like that?" Asuka asked.

"This is how it plays out, because Alpha Roman will find out about his mate later. You'd be surprised at how much things change if one detail in a timeline changes," Shinsuke said. "There's no need for Alpha Roman to protect Nova yet. Bray and Paige are filling that role."

"So when Nova and Roman finally meet, Nova will already know about her ancestry. Bray split her gifts in half, so her Phoenix won't be able to take over. She'll be in full control of her powers, because Paige trained her from an early age."

"Abigail went back to save her father. And in doing so, she also saved her cousin."

"So now that Bray split her gifts, does that make him a Phoenix as well?"

"Not until he finishes the process. He has to drink the Eternal Water that's found under the Phoenix castle in Agartha. It's naturally warm, and when swallowed, it feels like your body is on fire,"

"Can anyone use it?"

"No, a Phoenix has to willingly give you a life and then the water will work. If it's not willing then the water will just taste like water," Shinsuke said. "When Nova took Bray's hands, she willingly gave him a Phoenix life. Well, several lives." Shinsuke paused before he spoke again. "And those lives are going to come into play much later."

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Not feeling too spiffy at the moment (bad cold) but I wanted to post this for all of you guys. Sorry it took so long, life got in the way.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	9. Chapter 9

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Sorry it's been so long! Life got in the way!**

 **I'll set the scene for these vignettes. In the first one, Paige is picking Nova and Abigail up from kindergarten in the first one. Let's just say the kids and their teacher aren't getting along very well.**

 **In the second one, Paige is teaching her preteen niece how to use her powers.**

 **In the last one, Bray and Nova discuss her powers, and Nova reads a letter from her mom.**

 **DISCLAIMERS: See Chapter One. Explains EVERYTHING!**

 **Bonus points to whoever figures out where I got the teacher's name from!;) Perhaps you can Google it?;)**

 _ **Chapter Nine**_

"Nova, Sweetie, what happened to your clothes?" Paige asked, asked, even though she already knew. Nova's shirt had dirt on it, and so did her pants.

"The kids pushed her at recess and threw dirt at her," Abigail said. "Ms. Thistletwat didn't do nothing."

"Nova, stay with Abby and Uncle Bray. I'll be right back." Paige stood up and marched towards Nova's classroom. Although Paige wasn't Nova's bio mom, she would defend the little girl like she was. And this incident on the playground wasn't the first time something like this happened.

"Paige, don't do anything stupid," Bray whispered under his breath. To the girls, he said, "You know what, girls? I think this situation calls for ice cream. As soon as your Aunt Paige comes back, we'll all go get a double scoop at Baskin Robbins."

Abigail grinned. "Cool! Thanks Daddy!"

Nova was a bit more reserved. "Can I have Dark Chocolate Wasabi?"

Bray gazed at his niece, amused, as he, Nova, and Abigail walked back to the car. "Dark Chocolate Wasabi, huh? Isn't that a little spicy for you, Nova?"

Nova shook her head, dead serious. "It's not spicy enough."

~~~AGARTHA~~~

Paige saw Ms. Thistletwat, a skinny blonde woman with a pinched-looking face, at her desk grading papers, and got right up in her business. "May I ask what happened to my niece?" she asked.

Ms. Thistletwat glanced up. "She fell," she said, like it was no big deal.

"Why didn't you call me and ask me to bring her a change of clothes?" Paige pressed on.

Nova's teacher shrugged. "Sorry, I'll remember next time," the teacher said with a smirk on her face. She turned back to her papers, her posture saying, _You're dismissed!_

The teacher's indifference infuriated Paige, and she slammed a fist down onto the desk. A candy dish full of paper clips rattled on the desk, and Ms. Thistletwat glanced up, startled.

"I'll ask you again, Ms. Thistletwat," Paige said, her voice icy. "What. Happened. To. My. Niece?"

"I'm telling you, Mrs. Wyatt! She..." Whatever excuse Ms. Thistletwat had on the tip of her tongue evaporated. Her eyes went blank, and she said, "The kids knocked her down at recess and threw dirt on her. I didn't call you because I didn't want to. I hate your niece and your daughter, Mrs. Wyatt! They're nothing but distractive freaks, and if I can make them so miserable that you pull them out of my class, then I'll celebrate with champagne! And I'm not saying this out of context! I mean every word! I'll... "

Her voice trailed off as she realized what she'd just said. Her face went white. "Oh, no! NO!" she gasped in horror. "No, I didn't mean that!"

Paige smirked and held up her smartphone. "Sounds like you did. And I have it all recorded. And this could be detrimental to your teaching career if it fell into the hands of someone with influence."

Ms. Thistletwat shook her head. "NO!" she pleaded, almost ready to cry. "Please don't do anything to me! I promise I'll treat Abby and Nova better. Anything happens to them from here on out, you'll be the first to know!"

"Very well." Paige put her phone back into her purse. "I'll be watching you like a hawk from now on. And if you so much as _look_ at either one of my girls the wrong way, and I or my husband find out about it, then this conversation will go to the media, and your name will be sent to the school board. You won't be able to find another teaching job in this city, let alone this parish, or this state. Treat my girls better, and we won't have a problem. Am I clear?"

The teacher gulped. "Crystal."

"Good. Enjoy the rest of your day, Ms. Thistletwat." With those final words, Paige turned on her heel and walked out of the classroom without a second glance. A smirk of her own crossed her lips. Truth spells never hurt, and in Louisiana, they could be easily hidden.

~~~AGARTHA~~~

The weekend came and Bray was covering a shift at Asuka's clinic. Nova sat in a lawn chair in the shed that Paige used to conduct her magic lessons. Paige placed a glass bowl in front of Nova and then handed her a pair of goggles, for safety's sake.

"Okay, the last time we did this, we were working on your Banshee call," Paige said. Nova had the Banshee traits from Bryan's side of the family, so it was only right to cultivate those powers as well.

"Do we have to, Aunt Paige? You said you'd take me and Abby to see _Despicable Me,"_ Nova pouted.

"And I will," smiled Paige. "But I want to get your lessons finished for the day, and I'm sure you do too. And the sooner we finish, the sooner we can see the movie."

"That makes sense. Okay. Let's do this."

"Alright. Now, close your eyes and connect with your Phoenix," Paige instructed. "Take a deep breath and concentrate."

It wasn't hard to do. Nova shut her eyes and imagined her Phoenix lying in a pool of water. All she needed to do was reach beneath the surface and pull it out. It was something her cousin had taught her. _Imagine your powers are a ball that's in a tank of water. You want the ball, so you reach your hand in and grab the ball._

When Nova opened her eyes again, they were purple, a sure sign that she'd connected with her Phoenix.

"Very good," Paige smiled. "Now, scream." That was safe to do; Paige had placed wardings on the house and garage so that no passers-by could hear or see Paige's lessons.

Nova screamed, and Paige winced. The bowl in front of Nova began to shake.

"Nova, focus only on the bowl," Paige had to yell.

Nova continued to scream. The bowl shook and jumped up and down.

"You're doing great, Nova, almost there!" Paige shouted, getting in front of Nova so that she wouldn't get pelted by flying glass.

One more scream, and the the bowl finally exploded into thousands of pieces. Nova grinned at her aunt. "Nailed it."

"You certainly did." Paige waved her hand over the shattered bowl, and the pieces came back together. The bowl looked like nothing had happened to it.

"Excellent job. Now we move onto fire," Paige said. "I can't manipulate a ball of fire, but I can manipulate an energy ball. The principle works either way." Paige stretched out her arm and turned her hand so it was palm-side-up. Tiny swirls of light emerged from the witch's palm and twisted and spun over and around themselves until they formed a ball.

"Once you create a fireball, then we can move on to you throwing it and controlling it." Paige drew closer and wrapped her fingers around the energy ball. It swiftly disappeared. "Words of caution. Don't let it get too big and don't panic," she warned her niece, gently. "Because once you panic, it gets out of control. And that's when people get hurt."

"I won't panic," Nova assured her aunt.

Paige couldn't stop the grin that tugged across her lips. Nova was just ten years old, but Paige could see the confidence in the young girl's demeanor. "Okay. Now, you need to concentrate. Don't let yourself get distracted."

Nova held her hands out across the table, palm-side-up like Paige had done. The tip of her tongue poked out of her mouth as she concentrated. Soon, her eyes turned purple again, and tiny swirls of flame began to leap out of Nova's palm. Nova narrowed her eyes, and the tiny flames began to spin faster and twist and turn into themselves.

Paige watched in amazement "I didn't expect you to make a ball _that_ quickly!" she gasped.

"I've been practicing," Nova admitted, sheepishly. "Abigail taught me how to make a ball. Don't get mad at her, she was just trying to help."

"Well, as long as you're both practicing here at the house, and not somewhere else, then I think we're fine," Paige assured her. "But ask me or your uncle next time before the two of you start practicing by yourselves, okay? That way, we can put additional wardings around the house."

"I will."

"Alright then. Let's practice throwing that fireball in your hand. You'll have to use your fingers to control it." Paige created another energy ball to demonstrate. Deftly, she bounced it and rolled it from one finger to the next. "After more practice, you'll be able to control it using your mind."

Nova found it easy to move the fireball from one finger to the next. She just lifted and lowered her fingers so that the ball could roll around easily. "Hey, this is fun!" she marveled. She began to bounce the ball and throw it from one hand to the other.

"Don't get too confident, Nova," Paige warned her niece gently. "Remember what you're playing with. If you aren't careful ..." Paige's instruction was interrupted by a sudden loud _bang!_ as the shed door swung open and smacked the wall. Startled, Nova jumped slightly. With her concentration broken, she lost control of the fireball, which bounced out of her hands and hit the table, setting it on fire.

"... That happens."

Paige sighed and shook her head. Quickly, she waved her hands over the burning table, extinguishing the flames, and restoring the table to its unburned state. She snapped her gaze towards the doorway, her voice sharp. "Abigail Paige …"

"Oops," Abigail said, sheepishly.

Nova glared at her cousin, slightly put off. "Thanks, Abby. You nearly burned down the shed."

"Next time, make sure to knock," Paige told her daughter. "Now, what is so important, that you had to suddenly barge in and interrupt Nova's lessons?"

"Well, _Despicable Me's_ gonna start in an hour. We gotta go if we wanna catch the matinee…"

~~~AGARTHA~~~

"Hey, Nova. Can i talk to you for a moment?"

Nova glanced up from the TV, which was tuned in to an episode of _The Big Bang Theory._ "I'm not in trouble, am I?"

Bray chuckled. "Not at all. I just have something I want to share with you." He sat down on the couch next to his niece and turned the TV off with the remote control. "Your mom gave me this letter before she and your dad died," he said, handing Nova a slightly crinkled, yellowed piece of paper. "She wanted Aunt Paige and me to give it to you when we thought you were old enough to understand."

Nova smoothed out the paper and began to read.

 _Dear Nova,_

 _If you're reading this, then I'm probably dead. I wish you, your father and I had more time together, so that we could show you our world. As I write this, I can feel you kicking inside me._

 _Back to why I'm writing this. I'll just get right to the point. You're a Phoenix, Nova. Like I am, like my parents are. Phoenixes are powerful beings, and you may be the most powerful one of all. At the risk of sounding cliché, with great power comes great responsibility, so don't use that power for selfish reasons. Try and use it for good. Put others ahead of you, and you should be okay._

 _That power will also attract beings who want you only for power and sexual gratification. They want only to use you and control you. Don't let them control you, and don't let them use you. If you're anything like me, you'll be able to tell the difference between the good and bad ones. It's in our instinct to know._

 _Your Phoenix will protect you. Mine did._

 _Long before you were born, my parents were forcing me to marry a man who wasn't my mate. I didn't love him. In fact, I despised him with every fiber of my being. Your great grandmother had made a deal with a Demon, and in return, the Demon wanted a female Phoenix. That Phoenix was me._

 _I escaped Agartha and met your dad, married him and had you. It felt good being able to make my own choices. No Council, no parents, and best of all, no deals._

 _Your dad and I will figure something out, sweet girl. We'll do our best and let you live a normal life. We'll let you be a human child and grow up in a human world. You'll be able to make your own decisions and live your own life._

 _Your dad and I love you, Nova. With both of our hearts._

 _Mom_

Nova set the letter down. "Wow."

"You're a Phoenix," Bray said. "With Banshee blood from your father's side."

"So that explains my Banshee call. The one that makes your ears bleed and your bones break, if it's loud enough."

Bray smirked. "Thankfully it hasn't gotten to that point. You're also able to control fire, and you have premonitions and compulsions. You can also project objects and people."

"Wow." It was all Nova could say at the moment.

"The first family of Phoenix had all those powers. They were called The Order. They were the strongest, most lethal, and most powerful creatures that ever existed. But they were obsessed with violence and war, and they all went mad with power and greed. Their powers drained their sanity and life force and consumed them, until one by one, they were all destroyed."

Nova leaned back against the couch, her face pale. "So if what you're saying is true, then I'm a ticking time bomb."

"You _were_ a ticking time bomb."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember the game we played when you and your parents came out to visit Aunt Paige and me? The one where you gave me your magic, and I passed out for half a day?"

Nova busted up laughing "How could I forget? You looked like a giant candle! And later on I heard Aunt Paige harping on you about using bad words around Abby!"

"That wasn't a game, Nova. I split your powers in half. They were starting to develop exponentially, and your mom and dad were unable to hide them. They came to me and your Aunt Paige for help. At first we thought of putting up a wall so that your powers could not be sensed. But the wall would only hold for so long. So I suggested splitting your powers. You still have them, but they're much easier to control."

"That explains a lot. And it especially explains why I'm not a pile of ashes. But, why did Mom and Dad try to hide my powers and not say anything about them? And why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because knowledge is power, Nova. I disagreed with your folks when they insisted on keeping you in the dark about your history. They feared that your enemies and theirs would find you and take you away. I insisted on telling you the truth when you were old enough to understand. That way, you'd be aware of the dangers around you. Of course, that would risk you being found out, but if that happened, then you'd be better prepared to face the danger. Because it's far better to stand and fight and go out swinging than to hide and cower and wait for the end."

"Did Shin tell you that?"

Bray gave his niece a beaming smile. "He's the greatest teacher, friend and Seer that I know."

"He's very wise."

Nova gazed out the window, her expression thoughtful. When she turned back, she had a puzzled look on her face. "But if you split my powers, that means you have them too, right?"

"Yes. They're dormant, but yes. And they'll remain so until I drink the Eternal Water that's under the Phoenix Castle in Agartha. Do you still have the bottle that your mom gave you before she died?"

"Yeah. The rainbow colored one. Mom said it was special and that it would always find me."

"There's Eternal Water in that bottle. And I suspect your mom charmed that bottle so that you'd never lose it." Bray drew closer to his niece. His voice, while still gentle, was much more serious. "I want you to promise me one important thing. DON'T give that water to anyone until it's the right time."

"How will I know when it's the right time?"

"You'll feel it. You'll see it. And when that happens, you'll know." Bray took his niece's hands in his. _"Promise me."_

Nova nodded. "I promise."

Bray wrapped his niece up in a hug. "Your aunt and your cousin and I love you very, very much."

"I love you, Uncle Bray."

"And I love you too, Kiddo."

Paige stuck her head into the doorway. "Nova, can you go look for Abigail and tell her dinner's gonna ready soon? I'm gonna go pick some ingredients for salad."

Uncle and niece broke their embrace, and Bray sat up straight.

Nova climbed off the couch. "Will do," she said, as she rushed outside, a vision in faded jeans and a magenta tank top.

"And if you guys aren't back in 20 minutes," Bray called out after her, "I'm gonna come looking for you …"

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: And we're gonna stop there. Interesting stopping point. Nova's gone to look for Abigail, who's about to re-enter the altered timeline. Kinda full circle.**

 **I'm not sure if I want to end this part of the story here, or if I should put a couple more chapters in. Let me know in the Comment section or PM me.**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


	10. Chapter 10

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: WOW! Life just got in the way of this one, and I had some Writer's Block that I couldn't quite slog thru. Had to step back for a while, but I think I'm okay now!**

 **Well, how about Bray's return to WWE on 7/15? All I can say is MIND… BLOWN. I suspect he and Finn Balor will face each other at Summerslam, and Bray's gonna completely dissect him! Since Finn requested some time off in August in real life, that's not outside the realm of possibility.**

 **UPDATE: WOW! Saw Bray's debut Summerslam as the Fiend! MIND... REALLY BLOWN! But the Bray that's in my head is the dreadlocked one from 2k17. He was equally badass then, just in a different way!**

 **Not really surprised that nobody got the reference with Ms. Thistletwat in the last chapter. That was a character name from the Broadway musical** _ **Avenue Q.**_ **It's a very adult version of Sesame Street, and it's funny as hell!**

 **Back to the story. We're setting up for Nova's big party, and we get to meet some of her and Abigail's friends, who are more than what they appear. Aaaannd… that deal Abby made with Shinsuke that took her back in time? It does come into play in the next couple of chapters.**

 **I'll wrap this book up maybe in the next three or four chapters or so, and then I'll work on the next book.**

 **DISCLAIMER(S): See Chapter One. Too lazy to type them out right now.**

 _ **Chapter Ten**_

School was surprising easy and enjoyable, and Abigail fit seamlessly into this altered reality. Here, she was a good student, she had a boyfriend, and while she wasn't the most popular girl in school, she had a healthy circle of friends. Many of these friends she shared with her cousin, but that wasn't a big deal, since they all got along quite well. Of course, Abigail had her share of bullies, but she and Nova gave as good as they got, so that wasn't a big deal either.

"So where's my invite?"

Abigail turned to see one of her and Nova's mutual friends, Bayley Martinez, leaning against a closed locker, cute as always with her side ponytail. It was the brief break between classes, and Abigail and Nova were getting their books for the next class.

"You don't need one, Bayles," Abigail laughed. "You've had a standing invite to both of our birthday parties since the day you and Nova and I met in the sandbox."

Nova, who had the locker right next to her cousin's, chimed in. "I'll text you with the details."

"Not necessary," Abby said. "You and I have seventh period off, so we can just go to the art room and hang out. We can hammer everything out there."

Ah, yes. The art room was a popular room for students who had the last period of school off. It was big and spacious, and students who didn't have a class during the last period could hang out, so long as they didn't interfere when the art teacher was giving lessons.

"I'll hold you guys to that." Bayley swung her book bag over her shoulder. "Gotta run, gotta get to my next class. Later."

Abigail waved at the retreating form of her and Nova's best friend and then glanced over her shoulder. She made a face at the skinny blonde and her dark-haired girlfriend making their way down the hall like they owned the place. "Watch out, Nova," Abigail warned her cousin. "There's a couple of Plastics on your six. And one of them is Maryse."

Maryse Oulette was the embodiment of the phrase, "Beauty is only skin deep." She was beautiful, no question about that, and intelligent, but she was also cruel, manipulative and sociopathic. She was the leader of a group of girls known in school as the Plastics, named after the _Mean Girls_ movie. Like their namesakes, these girls were beautiful, smart, perfect, and vicious. They made the lives of whomever they considered inferior miserable.

And two of them were making a beeline towards Nova and Abigail's lockers.

"Thanks for the heads up." Nova arranged her features into a bland smile and turned. "Hi, Maryse, Aksana. I see you've decided to grace us with your presence."

"Nice dress, Nova." Maryse looked Nova and Abigail up and down and wrinkled her nose at the purple maxi dress with the 60's style print that Nova wore. "Good to know you've seen the softer side of Sears."

"At least all my clothes are paid for," Nova fired back, without missing a beat.

Abigail couldn't help but chime in. "Mine, too." She smirked and threw a pointed glance at Maryse's outfit. "Yours, on the other hand…"

At least Maryse had the decency to look offended. Before she could say anything else, Aksana cut in first. "Come on, Maryse. Let's go. They're not worth it." The blonde Plastic shot the cousins a dirty look as she and her cohort slunk off to antagonize someone else.

"Good one!" Nova high-fived her cousin before flinging her knapsack over her shoulder. "Let's get to class before we get marked late…"

~~~AGARTHA~~~

Bray was on the porch enjoying a day off from work when he saw Sika, Shin and Asuka in his driveway. He smiled and got up to greet them. "Well, hi! Long time, no see, Sika! Shin, Asuka, it's always a pleasure. I'm surprised to see you all here! Nova's party isn't until tomorrow."

"We know," Shinsuke said, pleasantly. "But we do need to talk to you. It's… rather urgent."

Bray's expression grew rather pensive. "Something tells me that this isn't your normal social call. Is something wrong with my pack-wait, no. If there was, either Luke or Erick would be here to warn me."

"Your pack is in good hands, Bray," Asuka reassured him.

"It's about Nova's friends… and my son," Sika admitted.

Bray ushered his guests into the house. "Is there something wrong with her friends? Or is there something else you're not telling me?"

Asuka looked sheepish as she brought up the rear. "You may want to sit down for this…"

~~~AGARTHA~~~

 _Later, in the art room at Nova and Abigail's school…_

"Okay, Braun, Carmella and Enzo will meet us at Amazun Cajun. Dad and Mom and I are gonna come get you Friday night at five," Abigail said. "Mom's reserved a big table upstairs and in the back."

"Which one is it?" Bayley asked, as she worked on her art project, a colored pencil sketch of a forest. She was using colors that you wouldn't find in a forest; pastel blue, bubblegum pink, seafoam green, lemon yellow and others. The colors would make one think of candy. "That place is pretty big."

"It'll be the one with the decorations and balloons and presents," Nova smirked.

~~~AGARTHA~~~

"What the hell were the two of you thinking?" exclaimed Bray, after Shinsuke and Sika explained the origins of Abigail and Nova's friends, and Roman's desire to attend Nova's party. Bray's unexpected guests were seated at the kitchen table, drinking iced tea. "You tell me that they were all sent from Agartha to keep track of my niece?"

"Three, Bray," Asuka corrected.

Sika chimed in. "Four, if you count Roman."

Bray slammed his fist on the kitchen counter. "Dammit, Sika!"

"Bray, please hear us out before you throw us all under the bus," Sika pleaded, gently. "Roman found Nova shortly after you and Paige took her into your care. If you want to be angry with someone, be angry with him. It was his idea."

"He wanted to take her directly to Agartha," Asuka explained, "But Shin and I intervened. A knee-jerk response like that would leave Nova vulnerable. Even though her parents are dead, and her powers have been split, Nova is still at risk. Kane still wants her as his mate, and the Authority will look for anything-or any _one-_ who could tip the balance of power in their favor."

"So we compromised," Shinsuke sighed. "We agreed to have Carmella, Cass, Enzo, and Bayley join Nova's school and befriend her and Abigail. That way, they can protect her if anyone gets any ideas."

"Now before you say anything, Bray, don't worry. They know better than to mention wolves and magic to her," Sika said.

"That isn't my concern," Bray said, leaning up against the kitchen counter. "Nova is aware of Agartha, as well as the supernatural creatures that reside there, and she knows not to blab that stuff to anyone here. My worry is that too many Agarthans in one place will draw attention to those creatures that want to exploit her."

"And we're all aware of that," Shinsuke assured. "Which is why the four of them are the only ones that were sent to protect Nova. But Roman feels like Nova's ready to meet him and the rest of the Reigns pack. Which is why we came over to bring you up to speed."

Bray nodded in understanding. "Okay. Roman's your son, Sika, and even though I haven't been to Agartha in years, I know you've raised him well. If he's Nova's soulmate, who am I to get in the way of that. I know Braun from my pack, and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that he and Abigail are soulmates. Carmella, Enzo and Cass are wolves, and I'm fine with that as well. Hell, I'm part wolf, and I have my own pack. But what is Bayley?"

"Bayley is a fairy, Bray," Asuka answered, before taking a sip of her tea.

"A fairy?" Bray snorted. "Really. Last time I went to Silvermist, the fairies I met were all stuck up snobby bitches. They all looked at me like I'd crawled out of a dumpster."

"Don't worry, Bray " Asuka assured him. "Ever since Alexa Bliss took over Silvermist, their attitudes have done a complete about-face."

"Good to know. Now I get why Bayley is all huggy and touchy-feely." Bray paused. "So I take it that you're all bringing Roman to the party."

Shinsuke smiled. "Nova's happy, well-adjusted, and confident in her abilities as a Phoenix. You and your wife have done an excellent job raising both her and Abigail."

"So I think it's about time for Roman and his friends to make their appearance," Sika chimed in.

Shinsuke smirked. "I think you should be grateful that Roman's fixated on Nova and not Randy. Randy wouldn't have her best interests at heart."

Bray paced the kitchen for a moment before he sighed and turned to face his guests. "Alright, then. Roman and his Beta and Gamma are invited. The three of them would find a way to meet Nova even if I didn't invite them. Might as well make it official. But Sika, I'll warn you. If your son does anything to hurt my niece, soulmate or not, then you'll find him in pieces. That's not a threat. It's a promise."

"Duly noted," Sika nodded. "I'd feel the same way if I was in your position."

~~~AGARTHA~~~

"I hate her! Her and her freak cousin!" sobbed Maryse as she sat in her boyfriend's car after school. "Do you know what they both did to me today? Nova was dressed in some dress that looked like it came from the Jimi Hendrix Collection at Sears! I just gave her a compliment and she insulted me! She and her cousin! They implied that my clothes weren't paid for! I can't believe she'd do that!"

Mike Mizanin, Maryse's boyfriend, put his arms around her and pulled her close. "Don't worry your pretty head another minute. You'll get them back."

"I've been wanting to get back at her ever since I got in trouble for knocking her down in kindergarten. I never forgot that!"

"Wait." Mike suddenly had an idea. "Nova's got that party this Friday, right?"

Maryse snorted. "How can I not know about it? It's all she and her friends have been talking about for days! At that awful restaurant in Lafayette, the one with the crab on the roof! How ridiculously cliche!"

"Well, why don't we take a trip to Lafayette this Friday and pay Nova and her misfit family a visit? Her family and friends'll be there."

Maryse let a sly little smile play across her lips. "I think I know where you're going with this. What better place to get back at Nova and her freak cousin than at a birthday party surrounded by her family and friends. That'll show her not to mess with me."

"And by the time we finish with her," Mike laughed. "The two of them will know their place. I can't wait…"

 **NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: (Insert ominous music here) Looks like Nova and Abby will have some uninvited guests at the party. They'd better watch their backs. At least they have family and friends that'll stick up for them! And hopefully, they'll be confident enough to stand up to a couple of bullies. Can't wait!**

 **REVIEWS = LOVE**


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